WHEN HEROES COLLIDE
by Kim Dreamcatcher
Summary: When two strange enemies from another time show up in Toyama, intent on destroying the Ronin Warriors, the five warriors must fight them alongside five new allies from the future...
1. Author's Notes

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Author's Note  
  
Note to all readers: I created a time lapse between the Ronin Warriors and the Sailor Scouts. The Sailor Scouts first emerged about ten years after the Ronin Warriors defeated Talpa and the Evil Dynasty.  
  
To those who know little or nothing about the Sailor Scouts: A quick history lesson.  
  
SAILOR MOON  
  
Real Name: Serena, a.k.a. Princess Serena of the Moon Kingdom. Although she's the leader of the Scouts, Sailor Moon's a bit of a whiner, is always late for school and important Sailor Scouts, and is never exactly in a rush to do battle.  
  
SAILOR MERCURY  
  
Real Name: Amy. She's the brains behind the Sailor Scouts.  
  
SAILOR MARS  
  
Real Name: Rae. Although she constantly complains about Sailor Moon's whining and leadership skills, and constantly gets into arguments with Serena, Rae thinks deep down that Sailor Moon is a good leader and friend.  
  
SAILOR JUPITER  
  
Real Name: Lita. She's a bit of a tomboy, lives to fight, loves to cook, and falls in love with any guys who looks like her old boyfriend, Freddie.  
  
SAILOR VENUS  
  
Real Name: Mina. Like Serena, she can be late for things (not as often as Serena). I don't have much on Mina.  
  
SEASONS:

There's not much focus on the seasons with Queen Beryl or the two aliens, Ann and Alan. The main focus is on the more recent season released in the U.S. (I'm not referring to the Japanese version, just so you know.) This season involves a little girl mentioned in my fanfic named Rini. It's revealed that she's from the future, (the 30th century, to be exact) and she's not alone. Members of the Dark Moon family, who were trying to take over Crystal Tokyo (That's what 30th century Tokyo is called), go after Rini and the Sailor Scouts as well. First, there's Rubeus, then Emerald, Sapphire, and Prince Diamond. Diamond has an obsession with the queen of Crystal Tokyo: Neo-Queen Serenity. (That's Serena in the future.) When the Scouts traveled to the future with Rini, along with Tuxedo Mask (his real name's Darien, and he and Serena are very close), Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask found out from King Endymion (Darien's future self) that Rini is their daughter. The Scouts defeated the Dark Family once and for all, and returned to their own time...or so it seems.  
  
That's where my story comes in. It turns out that there are two other members of the Dark Moon family, Topaz and Amethyst. They're the youngest of the Dark Moon family, and they're seeking revenge for the deaths of their three brothers and sister. The remaining Dark Moon family members discovered that the Ronin Warriors had an impact on the Sailor Scouts' present and thirtieth century Crystal Tokyo. By destroying the Ronin Warriors, the future of the Sailor Scouts and Crystal Tokyo would be drastically altered. Despite the potential risks, Topaz and Amethyst go to the past to Toyama, Japan...Sorry, but if you wanna know more, read the story! And if anyone has questions regarding the Sailor Scouts, or if you're confused about anything, email me.


	2. The Alliance

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part One-The Alliance  
  
In the city of Tokyo, Japan, inside the Cherry Hill Temple, Rae was preparing herself for one of her fire readings while Amy, Lita, Mina and her guardian cat, Artemis, were standing outside the entrance of the temple.  
  
Lita looked down at her watch. After letting out a sigh, she told the other girls, "She's already twenty minutes late."  
  
"That girl is always late," Artemis replied.  
  
"But I did inform Serena about the fire reading sessions at the temple," Amy muttered out loud. "Perhaps I should call her again and remind her of the meeting." She reached down her hand to turn on her wrist communicator, but Mina stopped her short.  
  
"There's no need for that, Amy," she exclaimed. "Here she comes!"  
  
Amy and Lita looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that she was right. There was Serena, followed by her guardian cat, Luna, running up the temple's stairs, huffing and puffing all the way.  
  
"Come on, you lazy girl!" Luna shouted. "Move it!" When the two of them finally reached the top of the stairs, she bent down from exhaustion and took in several deep breaths of air.  
  
"Are you all right, Serena?" Lita shouted to her as she ran over to Serena's side.  
  
"Y-yes...I'm fine...I just...need to catch...my breath," Serena gasped. As Lita helped her up, Amy, Mina, and Artemis ran over to them.  
  
"Why were you late this time, Serena?" Mina asked. "Did you oversleep again?"  
  
"No, I didn't oversleep, Mina," Serena muttered. "I was on the phone and I lost track of time."  
  
"Oh, really?" Lita asked. "Who were you talking to?"  
  
Serena's cheeks turned red as she replied; "I was talking to Darien." She gave out a long giggle before she continued. "I've got great news. Darien told me that he's been accepted to a major university. Unfortunately, the university's in the United States." Letting out a long sigh, with tears starting to well up in her eyes, she continued. "Darien also said that he was leaving today to check out this school." With that, Serena started to wail, with tears flowing out endlessly. "I MISS HIM ALREADY!" she bawled with her friends at her side, trying desperately to calm her down.  
  
"Will you cool it with the waterworks already, meatball head!" The four girls looked up at Rae, who was dressed in her traditional temple clothes.  
  
Serena wiped her eyes and yelled back angrily, "I told you not to call me meatball head!"  
  
"Well, I can't help it, Serena, if you were acting like one," Rae retorted back to her.  
  
"Please stop fighting, you two," Luna pleaded.  
  
"Yeah, you guys. Don't forget why we're here," Artemis reminded them. Reluctantly, Rae and Serena kept quiet, and Rae motioned for everyone to enter the temple.  
  
The five girls and two cats entered a room with only a fire burning in the back and a few mats on the floor. Rae sat right in front of the fire, while the others took their seats behind her. Picking up a bamboo staff with silk draping from one end, Rae closed her eyes and started to sway it back and forth in front of the fire.  
  
"O ancient spirits," Rae chanted, "please tell us, are there any more dangers facing the Sailor Scouts in the future?"  
  
All of a sudden, the flames grew and burned rapidly, taking Rae and the others by surprise. As they looked at the flames, a familiar image of a young woman in a sailor uniform holding a staff appeared.  
  
"It's Sailor Pluto!" everyone exclaimed.  
  
"Sailor Scouts," Sailor Pluto started, "your help is needed once again. A year has passed in the 30th century since the warriors of the Dark Moon have been defeated. But now, the remaining followers have attacked Crystal Tokyo. Their leaders are two new members of the Dark Moon royal family. Their names are unknown to us. As their warriors continue the attacks on Crystal Tokyo, the anonymous leaders have traveled back through time."  
  
"How far back in time have they gone?" Amy asked.  
  
"From your current time," Sailor Pluto replied, "they have traveled back ten years."  
  
"This is bad news, Scouts," Amy explained to the other girls. "They possibly plan to destroy us before we even become Sailor Scouts, when we're still little kids."  
  
"That is an excellent theory, Sailor Mercury," Sailor Pluto responded, "but I'm afraid that you're wrong. Their destination is the city of Toyama. They are after a group of five young warriors, like yourselves, with mystical armor who have a major influence not just on your present time, Sailor Scouts, but also on the future of Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"But, Sailor Pluto, how can we stop them?" Rae asked.  
  
"Do not worry, Sailor Mars," she replied. "Small Lady will be arriving at the temple shortly with the Moon Crystal Key, which will allow you to travel back in time to help these warriors. For now, I must bid farewell to you all."  
  
As her image began to disappear from the flames, Lita shouted, "Wait! Who are these warriors that we're supposed to help?" ] "Small Lady will explain everything when she arrives, Sailor Jupiter." With that, the image of Sailor Pluto disappeared completely, and the flames died down.  
  
Everyone sat in silence for a while, pondering over what Sailor Pluto said to them. Finally, Luna and Artemis broke the silence.  
  
"What are we doing sitting around here for?" Luna exclaimed. "You heard what Sailor Pluto said."  
  
"Rini will be here any minute," Artemis added. "We should go outside and wait for her."  
  
"Right!" the five girls chorused as they ran out of the room and left the temple, leaving Luna and Artemis behind. Knowing from past experience that Rini would fall from the sky, the girls split up to look for her. Suddenly, a small swirl of yellow clouds appeared right above Serena's head.  
  
"Look out, Serena!" the two cats shouted. However, the warning came too late. Serena looked up, but got knocked down by the little pink pig- tailed girl, followed by her hovering Luna Ball.  
  
"Rini," Serena muttered through clenched teeth. "How nice it is to see you again."  
  
"Nice to see you again, too," Rini told her.  
  
"Hi, Rini!" She looked up and saw Amy, Rae, Lita, and Mina waving at her and smiling. She jumped off Serena's back and ran towards the other girls, giving them each a big hug.  
  
"Wow, Rini," Lita exclaimed, "you sure have grown since the last time we saw you."  
  
"Yeah," Mina added. "I remember you being this small." She bent down to indicate how small Rini used to be.  
  
"Well, I am one year older," Rini admitted, "but now's not the time to chit- chat. We need to help the Ronin Warriors before it's too late!"  
  
"Before we leave, Rini," Amy asked, "could you tell us more about these Ronin Warriors?"  
  
"Of course I will," Rini exclaimed. At this time, Serena got up and joined the others as Rini began to tell them about the Ronin Warriors...  
  
Meanwhile, ten years from then, in the city of Toyama, Japan...  
  
_Ryo was wandering around in a thick fog, wearing his red and white sub- armor. He took a look around, cupped his hands over his mouth, and shouted out, "Hello! Sage! Cye! Kento! Rowen! Can anybody hear me?"  
  
The echoes from his pleas seem to come from everywhere. He was extremely frustrated and was about ready to give up when suddenly; the fog parted to reveal the silhouette of a girl from the back, who was holding a staff in her left hand. Ryo was on his guard.  
  
"Who are you?" he shouted to the intruder. "What do you want?"  
  
The figure turned around and was revealed as a young woman with dark green hair down to her waist, and was wearing a sailor dress with a black skirt, black boots, long white gloves, and a gold tiara.  
  
"There is no need to fear me, Ryo of Wildfire," she told him.  
  
A bit startled, Ryo asked, "How did you know my name?"  
  
"I know everything about the Ronin Warriors, Ryo of Wildfire."  
  
"Who are you?" he asked the young woman.  
  
"I am Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time. I have come to warn you of two dangerous beings from the future. You will recognize them by the black crescent moons that appear on their foreheads. They may prove too formidable a foe for you and the other Ronin Warriors. But do not worry, Ryo of Wildfire. Help will arrive soon."  
  
She turned quickly to her side, revealing the silhouettes of five young girls, one small child holding a ball, and two cats. Ryo couldn't see any faces or details of any of the figures in the distance. He did notice this: one of the young girls and the child had strange-looking pigtails; one girl had her hair up in a ponytail and was taller than the rest; another girl had a large bow in her hair, and the two cats had golden crescent moons on their foreheads.  
  
Ryo turned towards Sailor Pluto and asked, "Who are they, and how can they help us?"  
  
"They are the Sailor Scouts, warriors of the future. Accompanied by Small Lady and the guardian cats of the Moon Kingdom, they will arrive to assist you in defeating these enemies of the future."  
  
The silhouettes of the Sailor Scouts disappeared, and Sailor Pluto started to take leave.  
  
"Wait, Sailor Pluto!" Ryo cried out to her. "Can you tell me who the Sailor Scouts are?"  
  
The mysterious Sailor Pluto turned toward Ryo and announced, "Do not worry, Ryo of Wildfire, you and the other Ronin Warriors will encounter the Sailor Scouts in time. When that happens, I will appear to you all. Until then, farewell, Ryo of Wildfire." She continued to walk into the dense fog.  
  
Ryo tried to follow her, but he lost her in the thick, gathering mist. "NOOOOO!!!"_  
  
Ryo suddenly jerked up from his bed in a cold sweat. His sudden movements woke up White Blaze, who was lying right next to his bed.  
  
"It's okay, White Blaze," Ryo whispered as he petted his white tiger. "I was just having a dream, that's all."  
  
As though he understood Ryo, White Blaze yawned and went back to sleep. But Ryo couldn't go back to sleep as easily. He turned his head towards the window and stared at the crescent moon shining through.  
  
_I wonder,_ he thought to himself, _if that was just a dream or a warning. Maybe it's a premonition, like the ones I had before. I better tell the guys about this tomorrow. We should look around the city and see if we can find these Sailor Scouts before it's too late._ With that last thought in mind, Ryo fell back to sleep...  
  
In the meantime, back in Tokyo...  
  
Rini was waiting patiently at the docks, along with Luna and Artemis, for the five young heroines to arrive. She told the girls that they would be gone for a few days, so they all went back home to pack some clothes and agreed to meet Rini at the docks. She was pacing slowly back and forth when Luna interrupted her.  
  
"Rini, the girls are here now." She looked up and saw Serena, Rae, Amy, Lita, and Mina racing towards her, each with a backpack in her hand. She smiled as they came to a halt and caught their breath.  
  
"Are you ready to go to the past?" she asked them.  
  
"You bet we are!" they replied simultaneously.  
  
"Great, let's go!"  
  
Rini took the key from the chain around her neck, held it up in the air, and yelled, "MOON CRYSTAL KEY! Take us back in time ten years from now to the city of Toyama, so we can help the Ronin Warriors!"  
  
As she was saying this, the wind started to pick up from a gentle breeze to a roaring gust. Suddenly, a beam of yellow light shone on the group and they vanished into thin air.  
  
The beam of light reappeared again up in the clouds. Serena emerged from the light, which disappeared as soon as she left it.  
  
"Hello!" she cried out. "Where is everybody?" She couldn't see anything because of a thick haze surrounding her. As she walked through the haze, Serena arrived at a pair of large doors engraved with the different phases of the moon. "The Gate of Time!" she whispered to herself.  
  
She started to walk toward the doors when a familiar voice shouted out, "Don't move, trespasser!"  
  
Serena managed to avoid the staff being swung at her, although it resulted in her falling down. "No, wait! I can explain..." she started to explain to the familiar figure.  
  
"Too late, trespasser!" she told Serena.  
  
As she brought down her staff to finish off Serena, a voice yelled, "No, Luna P, stop!"  
  
When the haze parted, it revealed Sailor Pluto and Rini. As she got up, Serena noticed the other girls standing behind her.  
  
"Small Lady," Sailor Pluto said to Rini, "please explain."  
  
"These are the Sailor Scouts, Luna P," Rini started. After glancing toward the five girls, she continued. "I thought it would be best if we traveled through the time portal like this because if anyone saw them as Sailor Scouts, they would ask too many questions."  
  
"That sounds like an excellent plan, Small Lady," Sailor Pluto admitted. "I'm very proud of you. And now, for the rest of you," she addressed to the young girls, "I must apologize. I have mistaken you for intruders, although I didn't recognize you without your sailor uniforms. And you, Sailor Moon," she addressed to Serena, "please accept my most humble apologies for attacking you. I hope you will forgive me."  
  
Sailor Pluto turned her attention to the Gate of Time. "Now the time has come for you to continue your journey. Beyond this gate is a void, and beyond that void is the Cosmic Time Warp!" She lifted her staff above her head, and the Gate of Time opened up to reveal a massive blue glow. She turned towards the group and added, "Remember, the Cosmic Time Warp is very powerful and very dangerous. You must hold hands and concentrate hard on your final destination: ten years in the past to the city of Toyama." While she was speaking, the six girls joined hands, and Luna and Artemis held onto Serena and Mina's shoulders.  
  
As they stepped up to the open door, Serena turned her head towards Sailor Pluto and asked, "Are you sure you can't come with us? We don't even know what the Ronin Warriors look like."  
  
"Do not worry, Sailor Moon," she replied. "When you find the Ronin Warriors, you will know who they are. When the time comes, I will appear to you all. Until then, farewell and a safe journey to you all."  
  
With that, Sailor Pluto turned around, walked towards the gathering mist, and disappeared. The girls jumped through the open doors and reached the Cosmic Time Warp. A huge gust of wind nearly knocked them down, but they kept their ground and continued walking. Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them...  
  
A young man with wild carrot-orange hair, wearing a dark red-orange vest jacket, dark brown pants, and dark brown boots, was gazing through a crystal ball mounted on a large golden staff. In the crystal, he saw the images of Rini, Serena, Rae, Amy, Lita, and Mina slowly, but surely, walking through the time warp.  
  
"Intruders in the Cosmic Time Warp," he muttered to himself. "I must inform Amethyst of this." He left the room and entered another with a black throne in the center.  
  
Sitting there was a young woman holding a wineglass in her hand, with long wavy lilac hair and deep violet eyes. She was wearing a short-sleeved purple dress, with matching gloves, which matched her eyes. Both had black crescent moons on their foreheads.  
  
The young woman turned towards him as he entered the room. "Well, Topaz," she asked, "what news do you have for me?"  
  
"I have spotted intruders in the Cosmic Time Warp," Topaz replied.  
  
"How many?" she inquired.  
  
"There are eight of them: five young girls, two cats, and a little girl whom I believe is Small Lady."  
  
Amethyst responded by dropping her glass, which shattered into several pieces on the floor. "If Small Lady is with them," she started, "then those five girls must be the Sailor Scouts."  
  
She rose from her throne and paced around, in silent thought. Her concentration was interrupted by Topaz. "If they are indeed the Sailor Scouts, they will interfere with our plans."  
  
"Then, we should execute our plan sooner than expected, brother," Amethyst told him. "You know what to do, Topaz."  
  
"Yes, sister," he agreed, bowing to her. "I'll go right away." With that, he turned away and disappeared.  
  
Amethyst sat back down, picked up the locket she was wearing, and opened it. Inside the locket was a picture of her three brothers; Diamond, Sapphire, and Rubeus; and her sister, Emerald.  
  
"Do not worry, Prince Diamond," she whispered to the picture. "We will finish the dream that you started: to take over Crystal Tokyo and destroy the Sailor Scouts once and for all!" As she gave out a wicked laugh, she closed her locket, got up from her throne, and walked toward a large window. She looked down at the city of Toyama and whispered to herself, "The Ronin Warriors are down there somewhere, and my brother and I won't rest until they're destroyed."  
  
Meanwhile, in the busy streets of Toyama, Ryo, Sage, Cye, Kento, and Rowen were walking down the streets, looking closely at everyone they see.  
  
"Remember, guys," Ryo reminded them, "we're looking for a group of five young girls, so keep your eyes open."  
  
A few seconds later, Rowen asked, "What about them?"  
  
Ryo looked up and saw the group of five women, possibly in their thirties, walk past them. "No," Ryo muttered, "they're too old to be the Sailor Scouts."  
  
"Are you sure that it was a vision you had last night?" Sage asked him.  
  
"Yeah," Cye replied. "Are you positive it wasn't just a bizarre dream you had?"  
  
"I'm sure it wasn't a dream, Cye," Ryo told him. "But, if we don't see anyone that resemble the Sailor Scouts, we'll go to the park and kick back, okay?" The others nodded in agreement as they continued walking...  
  
Meanwhile, in an abandoned alleyway not far away, a pair of large doors mysteriously vaporized through the dead-end wall. The doors slowly opened to reveal a massive glowing blue void. Approaching the open doors were Serena, Rae, Amy, Lita, Mina, Rini, Luna, and Artemis. As soon as they all entered the alley, the doors closed and disappeared. They quickly turned around and noticed their dilemma.  
  
"Oh no!" Serena wailed as she dropped to her knees. "Now how are we supposed to go back home?"  
  
"Calm down, Serena," Rini told her. "I still have my Moon Crystal Key, so we'll still be able to go home."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Rae told her. "We have to concentrate on finding the Ronin Warriors."  
  
Serena nodded in agreement and got up. "All right then, let's go!" she announced with determination in her voice. The girls left the alleyway, followed by Luna and Artemis, and started their search by walking down the street and watching for groups of five guys.  
  
As they turned right and walked into the busiest part of Toyama, Mina cried out, "This is hopeless!"  
  
"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Artemis admitted.  
  
"I have an idea," Amy suggested. "Why don't we ask Rini if she can help us?" They looked around, but Rini was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Oh no!" Lita shouted. "We lost Rini!"  
  
"Stay here, you guys," Serena told them. "I'll retrace our steps and see if I can find her." With that, Serena ran back in the direction they came. She looked down the street they were on, but there was no sign of Rini or her Luna Sphere. She walked back to the alleyway they came out of, and she gave out a sigh of relief.  
  
There was Rini, still in the alleyway, attempting to tip over a trashcan full of garbage.  
  
"Rini, what are you doing?"  
  
She turned around and saw Serena standing there with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot like an impatient mother.  
  
"I dropped my key," she explained, "and it landed into this trashcan. Can you help me turn it over, please?" Serena ran over to the trashcan and, with Rini's help, managed to tip it over.  
  
"Eww, gross!" Serena shouted as garbage fell all over the place. Rini picked up a banana peel and there was the key, safe and sound. She picked it up and put it back around her neck.  
  
"Come on, Rini," Serena explained. "The others are waiting." With that, she grabbed Rini's arm and dragged her back to where the others were, followed by the Luna Sphere...  
  
When the five young boys turned the corner, Ryo noticed a young girl emerging from an alleyway, dragging a much smaller and younger girl by the arm. He especially noticed their hair: the two girls both wore their hair in these strange-looking pigtails. Ryo recognized them from his vision. As he attempted to catch up with them, a heavy crowd heading the opposite direction stopped him dead in his tracks. Never noticing Ryo, Serena and Rini managed to catch up with the other girls, and they left together. Later on the crowd thinned out a bit, and Ryo managed to squeeze through and ran down the street he saw the girls turn into. Ryo stopped dead in his tracks. There was no sign of the girls he spotted earlier.  
  
"Hey, Ryo!" he heard Kento yell. "Wait for us!" He turned toward his four friends.  
  
"Why did you run off like that?" Sage asked him.  
  
"I'm sorry about that, guys," Ryo explained, "but I recognized two girls from my vision."  
  
"Did you find them?" Cye asked.  
  
"No, I lost them in the crowd."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ryo," Rowen assured him. "I'm sure they'll turn up again. It's almost three o'clock. What do you say we head on down to the park and play some ball?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go!" Kento shouted. "I'm starving!"  
  
"But, Kento," Cye retorted, "you just ate half an hour ago and you're still hungry?"  
  
"You bet I am!" His stomach agreed with him by letting out a loud growl. The five boys all laughed as they headed toward the park...  
  
Meanwhile, outside the city, Mia Coji just finished washing the dishes when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Hold on, I'm coming," she called out as she walked toward the front door. Expecting the callers to be Ryo and the others, she didn't bother to look through the peephole. She opened the door, revealing the caller to be a young man with orange hair, wearing jeans and a T-shirt.  
  
"Excuse me, miss," he started, "but would it be all right with you if I use your phone to call a tow truck? My car broke down, and your house was the closest."  
  
"Of course you may use the phone," Mia replied. "It's in the kitchen. Follow me, please."  
  
As she turned around, the stranger grabbed her in a choker-hold. She tried to break free from his hold, but he was too strong. He took one hand and touched her forehead, which caused Mia to pass out. He gave out an evil chuckle as his clothes disappeared, revealing himself as Topaz.  
  
"Time to wake up and serve your new master!" he commanded. Mia woke up, but her eyes were glazed over like she was in a trance.  
  
"What do you wish from me, sire?" she asked.  
  
"I need you to retrieve the Jewel of Life. Go get it and bring it back to me."  
  
"Yes, sire," she replied as she walked upstairs.  
  
While she was upstairs, Topaz pulled a hand-held communicator out of his pocket and turned it on. "This is Topaz. I have the Ronin Warriors' ally under my control, and she is retrieving the Jewel of Life as we speak. Phase One of our plan is nearly complete."  
  
"Excellent," Amethyst responded through the communicator. "As soon as the Jewel of Life is in your possession, use the girl to create a distraction for the Ronin Warriors, while I continue with Phase Two."  
  
"Yes, my lady," Topaz agreed. "Consider it done."  
  
He looked up to see Mia walking down the stairs, holding the jewel in her hand. As she handed it over to Topaz, she asked, "Can I be of any further service, sire?"  
  
"Yes, I do have one more task for you. But first," he explained as a small flask containing a strange-looking liquid appeared in his hand, "you must drink this."  
  
He handed her the flask, and she willingly drank the contents. When she finished, she dropped the flask, which shattered into pieces. Mia fell down to her knees and held her hands to her throat. The black crescent moon of the Dark Moon appeared on her forehead as she changed into a hideous creature...  
  
Meanwhile, the six girls and their feline companions have searched over half the city, but their efforts were fruitless. They were now walking into the Toyama City Park.  
  
"I'm exhausted," Serena complained to her friends. "Can we stop and rest for awhile?"  
  
The others agreed without protest, and they dropped simultaneously onto the grass. Luna and Artemis, however, were not as exhausted as the girls.  
  
"Serena," Luna called out to her. "Artemis and I are going to take a quick look around the park for anything suspicious. We should be back in a few minutes."  
  
"Okay, Luna, see you later," she muttered as the two cats ran off into the brush.  
  
Luna and Artemis found a worn dirt path and decided to follow it. After five minutes of walking down that path, Artemis stopped and pricked up his ears.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Artemis?" Luna asked him.  
  
"I heard something from behind those bushes," Artemis explained, gesturing toward a wall of tall hedges.  
  
"Let's check it out," Luna muttered thoughtfully as she ran to the hedges and started to crawl underneath them, with Artemis right behind her.  
  
As she reached the other side of the hedge, Luna slowed down her crawling, not wanting to reveal herself just yet. Artemis caught up to her and crawled to her left side. Together, they peered out from underneath the shelter of the brush. It turned out to be just five boys playing a game of catch.  
  
"Artemis," Luna whispered, "perhaps they are the ones we've been looking for! We better tell the Scouts about this."  
  
As they started to turn around, they heard a loud growl from behind. The two cats turned around and received the shock of their nine lives: the growl came from a huge white tiger! Luna and Artemis yowled in fright as they scrambled out from under that bush as fast as their paws could carry them. But the massive tiger hurdled over the hedge and chased after them...  
  
After catching the ball that Sage threw to him, Ryo looked up and noticed White Blaze sniffing underneath the hedges nearby. Thinking nothing of it, he threw the ball to Kento. A growl from White Blaze caused them to look up. They heard a couple of yowls and rustling noises from underneath the bushes. Apparently, that was what White Blaze was waiting for, since he jumped over the hedge.  
  
"White Blaze!" Ryo yelled as he and the other guys ran after the white tiger...  
  
"Quick, Luna, this way!" Luna noticed Artemis climbing up a tree.  
  
"Are you crazy!" she yelled. "Tigers can climb trees, too!"  
  
"I know that," he retorted, "but this tree's too small to support his weight, so I don't think he'll try to climb it."  
  
Luna scrambled up to the first limb of the tree to join Artemis, but now they were in a bit of a predicament. The tiger was pacing around the base of the tree, so they had no way of getting down.  
  
The five boys found White Blaze pacing underneath a small tree. Perched up on the bottom limb were two frightened cats: one white and one black. Ryo managed to pull the massive tiger away from the tree, allowing Sage and Rowen to get the cats.  
  
Sage pulled himself up on a limb next to the cats. "It's okay," he whispered reassuringly to the cats. "We're not going to hurt you." He picked up the white cat first, and handed him down to Rowen's outstretched arms. Then, he picked up the black cat and leapt off the limb, landing safely on the ground. Rowen and Sage took a closer look at the cats, to make sure that they weren't injured, and they both noticed something very strange.  
  
"Hey, Ryo," Sage called out to him. "I think you better take a look at this."  
  
"Keep an eye on White Blaze," Ryo told Kento and Cye as he made his way toward the other two. They held the cats up so Ryo could see what they just saw.  
  
On the foreheads of both cats were golden crescent moons. Ryo gasped at the sight of this. He recognized them as the two cats from his vision. The two cats looked at each other with puzzled looks in their eyes.  
  
"Artemis," Luna told him telepathically, "I have a feeling that these are the ones that we've been searching for."  
  
"I think you're right, Luna," Artemis replied telepathically. "What should we do?"  
  
"Why don't we lead them towards the girls and see if anything happens?" Luna asked telepathically.  
  
"Great, let's go!" Artemis cried out, realizing too late that he spoke right in front of the boys.  
  
"Was I hearing things," Rowen asked, "or did this cat just talk?" Luna quickly squirmed out of Sage's arms and made a run for it. Artemis managed to squeeze out of Rowen's grasp and ran after her.  
  
The five guys stood there bewildered for a moment, until Ryo broke the silence with, "What are we doing standing around here for? We got to catch up with those cats. I have a feeling they'll lead us to the Sailor Scouts."  
  
They ran in the direction Luna and Artemis headed, with White Blaze in the lead. Artemis managed to catch up with Luna, who was fuming.  
  
"You imbecile!" she yelled at him. "What if they're not the Ronin Warriors, hmm? They're going to ask too many questions about us." Luna stopped running for a moment to catch her breath.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Luna," Artemis assured her, stopping right next to her. "We probably lost them, anyway."  
  
Luna looked behind him and gasped. "That's what you think!"  
  
Artemis looked in the same direction and saw the white tiger running towards them, followed by the five young boys. They screamed and ran away as fast as their paws could carry them.  
  
Meanwhile, the six girls were all stretched out on the grass, looking up at the clouds. Mina sat up and muttered out loud, "Luna and Artemis have been gone for a while. Do you think we should go look for them?"  
  
"Aww," Serena moaned. "Do we have to get up right now?"  
  
The other girls groaned as they helped Serena up to her feet. When they were all up on their feet, the girls felt a quick gust of wind. As soon as they felt it, it was gone, just like that.  
  
"That was strange," Amy muttered thoughtfully. "A gust of wind couldn't possibly move that fast." Suddenly, they heard two familiar screams coming from nearby.  
  
"That sounded like Luna and Artemis," Rini shouted.  
  
"Come on," Lita yelled to the others. "Let's help them!" They started to head towards the direction of the screams, when Luna and Artemis emerged from the bushes, completely exhausted.  
  
"Luna! Artemis! What's going on?" Serena asked with concern in her voice.  
  
Before the two could respond, the tiger that had been following the two cats jumped over the bush and landed right behind the girls. They turned around, took one look at the massive feline, and screamed to their heart's content.  
  
At that moment, on the other side of the bush, Ryo and his friends heard the girls' screams.  
  
"Sounds like White Blaze found the Sailor Scouts for us," Kento mentioned jokingly.  
  
"We have to make sure of it," Ryo muttered. "Listen, I'll go first to see if I recognize any of them. Wait a few minutes, then follow me." With that, he ran over to the other side, while the others watched through a small opening in the bushes.  
  
Meanwhile, the girls started to calm down a bit when they realized that the tiger wasn't going to attack them, except for Serena.  
  
"WAHHH!!!" she bawled hysterically. "I don't want to be eaten by a tiger!"  
  
Immediately, a young man emerged from behind the bushes and ran toward the white tiger.  
  
While he was calming the beast down, Luna whispered to the girls, "Keep a close eye on him. He's the one who owns that tiger."  
  
They nodded and looked in the direction of the boy, who had apparently calmed down the tiger. He appeared to be sixteen years old, with long black hair and tiger-blue eyes...  
  
Ryo ran toward White Blaze, who looked like he was ready to pounce onto the girls.  
  
"Easy, White Blaze," he whispered as he stroked the cat's head. "It's okay." He turned around to face the girls, who appeared to be holding a private conversation. They quickly turned around, staring at him for a moment, and stood up. He recognized the two from earlier in the day, but the four girls with them were a bit familiar to him from his vision.  
  
_They've got to be the Sailor Scouts,_ Ryo thought to himself, _but if they are the Sailor Scouts, then why didn't Sailor Pluto appear like she said she would?_  
  
He took a few steps towards them and started, "Hey, I'm sorry if my tiger, White Blaze, scared you."  
  
"He's your tiger?" asked the tallest of the six, with her auburn hair tied up in a ponytail on top of her head.  
  
"Well, yeah," Ryo replied. The same girl stepped up to him and nailed him in the chin with a left hook.  
  
As he fell to the ground, Ryo heard the other girls yell, "Lita! What did you do that for?"  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bushes, Ryo's friends bore witness to the whole fiasco.  
  
"That's got to hurt," Rowen whispered to the guys.  
  
"Yeah, but you got to admit," Kento whispered back to him, "the girl's got a mean left hook!"  
  
"Well, what are we doing sitting around here for?" Cye asked.  
  
"Yeah, we better help Ryo," Sage added, "before he gets hammered."  
  
The foursome got up and headed around the bushes to help out their fallen friend. Rowen and Kento helped a staggered Ryo up to his feet while Sage and Cye kept an eye on the six girls, particularly the one who slugged their friend.  
  
As soon as Ryo was back on his feet, the entire group was nearly blinded by a white light. When their vision returned to them, they noticed the image of a young woman in a sailor dress holding a staff, who was recognized by the six girls and Ryo.  
  
"It's Sailor Pluto!" Serena and Ryo shouted simultaneously, then looked at each other in bewilderment.  
  
_How did he know who Sailor Pluto is?_ Serena thought.  
  
_Unless..._ Ryo thought.  
  
Before the two leaders could finish their thoughts, Sailor Pluto held her staff up in the air. From it, ten small beams of light emerged. The individual beams shone directly onto the foreheads of the five girls and the five boys. A symbol appeared on each forehead: a crescent moon (Serena), the symbol of Mars (Rae), the symbol of Mercury (Amy), the symbol of Jupiter (Lita), the symbol of Venus (Mina), and the Japanese symbols of Virtue, Wisdom, Trust, Justice, and Life. The ten young heroes stared up at Sailor Pluto as though they were in a trance.  
  
In their minds, however, it appeared that the ten of them were standing up in the clouds. They all looked around with puzzled looks on their faces. Suddenly, a voice called out to them, and with each name called, the person responded by turning around to face the person hidden within the clouds.  
  
"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Ryo of Wildfire, Sage of Halo, Cye of Torrent, Kento of Hardrock, Rowen of Strata." As the clouds parted, the speaker was revealed to be Sailor Pluto.  
  
"The negative forces of the Dark Moon are closing in on your world. You all must put your differences aside and form an alliance in order to defeat the Dark Moon family once and for all. Although you are strong on your own, you will be an unstoppable team when you work together. Before I go, I must ask a favor of all of you."  
  
"What is it?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Please watch over Small Lady."  
  
"Right," everyone responded in agreement. The image of Sailor Pluto disappeared and everything faded into darkness.  
  
Meanwhile, Luna, Artemis, and Rini were doing everything they could to wake up the Sailor Scouts from their trance.  
  
"Come on, Serena," Rini pleaded, pulling on Serena's skirt, "please wake up!"  
  
While they were trying without success, White Blaze was also attempting to wake up Ryo. First, he rubbed hard against Ryo's legs, and then he nudged Ryo with his head. Nothing seemed to work on the young heroes.  
  
"This is hopeless," Luna yelled in frustration. "As long as they're in a trance, we won't be able to wake them up."  
  
Suddenly, the beams of light vanished and the symbols disappeared from the foreheads of the ten heroes in a brilliant flash of light. Luna, Artemis, White Blaze, and Rini shielded their eyes from the light.  
  
When they opened their eyes, Rini was relieved to see the Sailor Scouts awake. "Serena!" she shouted as she embraced the leader of the Sailor Scouts.  
  
Serena looked down at the little girl and smiled at her. She looked up to the five young boys, who they now knew as the Ronin Warriors.  
  
Their leader, who they now knew as Ryo, said to them, "You know our names now. I think it would be fair if you tell us your names."  
  
"Oh, of course," Serena stuttered. "I'm Serena, and these are my friends, Rae, Amy, Lita, and Mina. This one here is Rini," she pointed to the little girl standing next to her, "and these are our cats, Luna and Artemis."  
  
Luna ran to Serena and whispered loudly, "Serena, what are you doing?"  
  
"Don't worry, Luna," Serena replied. "They're the Ronin Warriors."  
  
"But, how do you know?"  
  
"I'll explain later."  
  
"So, Ryo," Serena asked the leader of the Ronin Warriors, "how did you know who Sailor Pluto was?"  
  
"Last night, I had a vision," Ryo explained. "Sailor Pluto was in it, and she warned me about the Dark Moon. She also told me that the Sailor Scouts," he pointed to them, "would come and help us defeat them." Everyone was silent for a moment.  
  
"So, can you tell us," Rowen asked, "who are these people from the Dark Moon?"  
  
The girls never had the chance to respond. "Don't bother, Sailor Scouts," a man's voice replied.  
  
"We can introduce ourselves," a woman's voice added.  
  
Everyone looked up at the two people floating in the air, with visible black crescent moons on their foreheads. "Who are you," Ryo asked, "and what do you want?"  
  
"I am Amethyst," the woman replied, "and this is my brother, Topaz. We are here for one reason only."  
  
"And that is to destroy you," Topaz boasted, pointing down at the Ronin Warriors, "and these interfering Sailor brats!"  
  
"We'll just see about that!" Kento yelled up to them. With that, the Ronin Warriors changed into their sub-armor, and stood ready for battle.  
  
"Very impressive, I must say," Amethyst retorted, lightly clapping her hands, "but it's going to take more then that to defeat us."  
  
Topaz snapped his fingers, and a monster appeared instantly, floating in midair. "Rubella," he ordered the creature, "destroy the Ronin Warriors!"  
  
"Yes, sire," she agreed as Amethyst and Topaz disappeared. She was a hideous sight with dark blue hair and black eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless charcoal-gray top with matching pants, a transparent black skirt, and black boots. On her forehead was the symbol of the Dark Moon clan. Although they had never seen this creature before, the Ronin Warriors had a strange feeling about her, as though they met before.  
  
"Don't worry, guys," Serena boldly shouted out to the Ronins. "We'll back you up, right, girls?"  
  
"Right!" the others agreed as they reached into their pockets and pulled out...absolutely nothing!?! They looked at each other with confused looks on their faces.  
  
"Missing something, Sailor failures?" Rubella asked as she reached into a black bag attached to her black belt. The five girls gasped. In her hand were the Sailor Scouts' transformation wands.  
  
"That's right," she admitted, "that 'gust of wind' you felt was me stealing your transformation wands!"  
  
"Give those back, ugly!" Lita yelled.  
  
"If you want them so badly," Rubella replied as she placed the wands back in her bag, "you'll have to get them from me."  
  
"Don't worry," Ryo told the girls. "We'll get those wands of yours back. Armor of Wildfire! DAO JIN!"  
  
"Armor of Halo! DAO CHI!"  
  
"Armor of Torrent! DAO SHIN!"  
  
"Armor of Hardrock! DAO GI!"  
  
"Armor of Strata! DAO INOCHI!"  
  
Instantly, the Ronin Warriors were transformed into their full armor and ready to battle Rubella, who had just landed on the ground...  
  
Meanwhile, the six girls and the two cats ducked behind a bush.  
  
Watching the battle, Rae whispered to the others, "What are we going to do? Without our transformation wands, we won't be able to help the Ronin Warriors."  
  
"Serena, why are you here with us?" Luna asked her. "You've got to help them!"  
  
"But how can I help them?" Serena whimpered.  
  
"Because you still have your locket, duh!" Luna retorted.  
  
Serena looked down and saw that Luna was right: she was still wearing the locket. "You're right, Luna," she admitted, "but how am I going to get those wands back by myself?"  
  
"Don't worry," Luna explained. "I have a plan."  
  
"Well, you better hurry," Mina replied, looking toward the Ronins, "because they could really use our help right about now."  
  
"Okay, Serena," Luna whispered. "Listen carefully. This is what we're going to do..."  
  
In the meantime, the Ronin Warriors were all down on their knees, completely exhausted. They had nearly thrown everything they had at Rubella, but she surprisingly avoided all of their attacks.  
  
"What is going on?" Ryo asked.  
  
"It's like she knows what we're going to do before we do it," Rowen replied.  
  
"If we can't defeat her," Cye asked, "how are we going to get back those wands?"  
  
"Too bad, Ronin Warriors," Rubella mocked sarcastically, hovering above them. "It looks like you met your match. Enough toying around with you. The time has come to destroy you once and for all!"  
  
"I don't think so!" a voice yelled out from behind the creature. Rubella turned around, revealing Serena as the bold one, with Luna by her side.  
  
"You're going down! Moon Crystal Power!" she cried out, holding her locket up in the air. In an instant, Serena was transformed into Sailor Moon.  
  
"So, you're Sailor Moon," Rubella replied.  
  
"You got that right!" she shouted. "In the name of the moon, I fight for love and justice, too! By the time I'm through with you, you'll be moon dust!"  
  
The Ronin Warriors were watching Serena with great interest. When she transformed into Sailor Moon, Ryo exclaimed, "She's gone crazy! Even as Sailor Moon, she can't defeat that creature on her own."  
  
"But, what can we do, Ryo?" Cye asked him. "We're too weak to help her."  
  
"No, you're not!" The five warriors looked down at Luna as she continued. "Sailor Moon knows what she's doing. Rowen, do you think you can remove Rubella's bag with one of your arrows?" she asked.  
  
"I'll try," Rowen muttered as he stood up. He removed an arrow from his quiver, placed it in his bow, took careful aim, and fired.  
  
Meanwhile, after Sailor Moon finished her speech, Rubella snickered. "Well, we'll just see who'll be dusted!" she cried as she went after the leader of the Sailor Scouts.  
  
Before she reached Sailor Moon, she felt something fly past her. Rubella caught the arrow and turned around to see who aimed it at her. It was Rowen, holding his bow up in the air. Rubella didn't realize that her bag with the Sailor Scouts' transformation wands was missing. She also didn't realize that White Blaze was carrying the bag in his mouth toward the girls. She thought that Rowen attempted to destroy her, but missed.  
  
As she snapped the arrow in half with her hand, she looked down at Rowen and sneered, "You're losing your edge, Strata." She dropped the two broken pieces of arrow as she descended to the ground...  
  
Meanwhile, the other girls almost cheered out loud when Rowen's arrow cut off the creature's black bag. Their little celebration was interrupted by the arrival of White Blaze, who was carrying the bag in his mouth. Rini cautiously walked up to the tiger.  
  
"Rini, please be careful!" Rae pleaded.  
  
"Don't worry, Rae," Rini assured her. "He's not going to hurt me." She was now face to face with White Blaze. Rini put out her hands, and the tiger willingly dropped the bag into her hands. She giggled as the massive cat licked her face. She patted him on the head, and said, "Good boy, White Blaze!" She turned around and gave the bag to the girls.  
  
As they pulled their wands out of the bag, Artemis told them, "You better hurry! The others need your help!"  
  
"Right," the girls agreed in sync as they raised their wands up in the air.  
  
"Mars Star Power!"  
  
"Mercury Star Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Star Power!"  
  
"Venus Star Power!"  
  
In the meantime, Rubella was on the ground, ready to attack the Ronins.  
  
She was about to strike, when they heard a familiar voice shout out, "MERCURY ICE BUBBLES BLAST!" A thick fog appeared around Rubella, freezing her dead in her tracks.  
  
"Hurry, guys, get over here!" It was Sailor Mercury who saved the Ronin Warriors. "That ice won't hold her for long!" she shouted.  
  
The five warriors quickly got up and joined the Sailor Scouts. "Do any of you have a plan to defeat Rubella?" Ryo asked the Sailor Scouts.  
  
"Yes, we do," Sailor Mercury replied, "but first, I need to analyze the monster." She reached up and touched her earring, and a visor appeared over her eyes.  
  
As she began to analyze Rubella, Rowen asked, "What was that?"  
  
"It's Sailor Mercury's visor," Sailor Jupiter explained. "She uses it to analyze enemies for any weak spots."  
  
Sailor Mercury, who had finished her analysis, interrupted the conversation. "We've got a big problem here," she explained as she touched her earring again, causing the visor to disappear. "My analysis shows that Rubella doesn't have any known vulnerabilities. There's more. The analysis also showed that Rubella is human, or was human." The Ronin Warriors gasped when they heard this news.  
  
"If that's true," Sage muttered thoughtfully, "then we can't destroy her. How can we make her human again, Sailor Mercury?"  
  
"Don't worry, Sage," she replied. "The Sailor Scouts can change her back."  
  
"But, how can you do that?" Cye asked.  
  
"No problem," Sailor Moon replied. "I can heal Rubella with the Silver Imperium Crystal."  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Kento retorted.  
  
"It's not that easy, Kento," Sailor Mercury answered. "Rubella's power levels are extremely high. It is necessary to drain away her powers first; otherwise the Silver Crystal won't work on her."  
  
"How are we going to do that?" Ryo asked.  
  
Before anyone could answer his question, there was a sudden explosion from behind them. When they turned around, they saw that Rubella had broken free from her ice cell.  
  
"Stay back, guys," Sailor Mars instructed the Ronins. "We'll handle this. MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!"  
  
The rings of fire repeatedly struck Rubella, leaving her bruised and slightly drained of energy.  
  
"Let's try a double-team, Sailor Venus!" Sailor Jupiter suggested to her blonde ally.  
  
"Right!"  
  
"JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!"  
  
"VENUS LOVE-CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"  
  
The blast of lightning, surrounded by an orange chain of hearts, struck the creature right in the stomach, knocking her down to her knees.  
  
"Sailor Moon," Sailor Mercury shouted to their leader. "Now!"  
  
"Right!" she agreed as she held her locket up in the air. "MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"  
  
The Ronin Warriors, who were back in their sub-armor, watched in awe as Rubella was bathed in the white light emerging from the Silver Crystal. When the light disappeared, they were shocked to see their friend, Mia, standing where Rubella was. Weak in the knees, Mia started to sway.  
  
"Mia!" Ryo yelled as he ran toward her. He managed to catch Mia before she fell. As Ryo laid her head down gently, the Sailor Scouts and the other Ronin Warriors joined him.  
  
"Is she going to be all right?" he asked Sailor Jupiter, who was checking her pulse.  
  
"She'll be fine," she assured Ryo. "She's just exhausted from all the changes she's gone through. It's nothing a little rest wouldn't cure." The Ronins gave out sighs of relief.  
  
"So," Sailor Moon started, "you know this girl?"  
  
The Ronins nodded their heads, and Ryo explained, "This is Mia Coji. She was a big help to us during the battle with Talpa and the Evil Dynasty."  
  
"How did she help you guys out?" Sailor Mercury asked.  
  
"Well, you see," Rowen started, "she studied Japanese mythology with her grandfather, Dr. Coji, who was a college professor. They both were especially interested in the legend of the five Ronin armors, which is obviously not a legend anymore. Mia helped us out by giving us information about our armor that we didn't even know about before."  
  
Mia started moving around a bit. "Look, she's waking up," Ryo exclaimed as she opened her eyes.  
  
"Ryo," she whispered, "what's going on?"  
  
"That's kind of a long story," he replied.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked as Ryo helped her up.  
  
"You're in the park with the rest of us," Rowen responded. Mia looked around and saw for herself that Rowen was right: they were in the park.  
  
"Do you remember anything, Mia?" Sage asked her.  
  
"I remember I had a visitor at home. He said he needed to use the phone, so I let him in. After that, everything else is just a blur." She looked up and saw the Sailor Scouts standing there. "Hmm...who are they?" she asked.  
  
Ryo hesitated, not knowing whether the Sailor Scouts wanted their identities revealed to a strange girl they didn't even know.  
  
"It's okay, Ryo," Sailor Moon told him, "you can tell her."  
  
"All right," Ryo replied. "Mia, these are the Sailor Scouts: Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus..."  
  
In the meantime, Amethyst and Topaz were watching the events occurring through the crystal ball.  
  
"What are we going to do now, Amethyst?" Topaz asked his sister bluntly. "Those meddling Scouts made the girl human again."  
  
"That's not a problem, Topaz," she replied, facing him as she spoke. "Her services were no longer needed, anyway. The time has come to move on to Phase Three of our plan." With that, Amethyst left the room, with her brother closely behind her.  
  
She approached a wall and rapped her knuckles against it three times. A door opened, and they walked through it. Inside was a cylinder-shaped stand, with five shining glass orbs resting on top.  
  
"How are these glass paper weights going to help us conquer Crystal Tokyo?" Topaz asked his sister as she approached the display.  
  
"These are not mere glass paper weights, brother dear," she replied. "Each stone contains a fragment of the Dark Crystal. In time, the crystals will grow, and from each stone will emerge a powerful creature, obedient to us. When all five creatures emerge from their Celestial Stones, they will merge into the ultimate monster, capable of destroying Crystal Tokyo!"  
  
Amethyst chuckled as she picked up one of the orbs and dropped it down a hollow glass tube. She did the same with the remaining four orbs. When all of the Celestial Stones were in place, she pressed a button, and the stones went down the tube...  
  
Meanwhile, Rini was watching from behind the bushes, with Luna, Artemis, and White Blaze keeping her company. Suddenly, White Blaze pricked up his ears and looked up at the sky.  
  
"What's wrong, White Blaze?" Rini asked curiously.  
  
"He probably heard something," Luna replied, looking up to see what was troubling the tiger.  
  
Unexpectedly, five beams of colored light appeared in the air and as soon as they appeared, they separated and were gone in the blink of an eye.  
  
"What the heck was that?" Artemis asked.  
  
_The Celestial Stones,_ Rini thought to herself. _Could they be real?_  
  
"...And now, we're here to help the Ronin Warriors by teaming up to defeat those nasty people from the Dark Moon," Serena finished. By this time, both the Ronin Warriors and the Sailor Scouts were back into their normal clothes. They were so busy talking to Mia that they never noticed the strange lights that appeared in the sky.  
  
"So, how long are you staying here?" Mia asked the five girls.  
  
"As long as it takes," Lita responded.  
  
"Do you have a place to stay until then?" Her second question was met with silence. "Well, don't worry about it. You can stay with me for as long as you need to."  
  
"Well, I don't know, Mia," Rae replied. "We wouldn't want to be a burden to anyone."  
  
"Nonsense," Mia admitted. After a bit of talking, Mia finally convinced the girls to stay with her. They were all ready to go, but then Serena and Ryo realized who was missing...  
  
Meanwhile, Luna was curious as to why Rini was still looking up at the sky where the lights first appeared. "Rini?" she asked the little girl. "Rini! Snap out of it!"  
  
She looked down at the cat and said, "I'm sorry, Luna. What did you say?"  
  
Before Luna could respond, a shrill whistle pierced the silence. "White Blaze!" they heard Ryo yell. "Time to go!"  
  
White Blaze understood and ran over to Rini. He laid down right next to her.  
  
"Do you want me to get on you and ride you like a horse?" Rini asked the tiger, who responded by giving a low roar. "I'll take that as a 'yes!' " Picking up Luna and Artemis, Rini got on White Blaze's back and nearly fell off when he stood up. She held on tight as White Blaze took off in the direction of Ryo's voice.  
  
The group watched as White Blaze came running toward them, with Rini, Luna, and Artemis on his back. He came to a stop at Ryo's side.  
  
"Good boy," Ryo whispered as he petted the tiger on the head.  
  
"That was fun!" Rini exclaimed as she got off the tiger with Ryo's help. "Can I ride him again?" she asked Ryo.  
  
"Sure, if it's okay with your friends," he explained, looking toward the five girls.  
  
"Mia," Serena told their new friend, "this is Rini, Luna, and Artemis."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Mia greeted. "We better get moving. The sun will set in a few hours, and it's a long walk back to the house."  
  
Serena felt a hard tug on her arm. "What is it, Rini?" she asked.  
  
"Can I ride White Blaze to the house? Please!" Rini pleaded.  
  
"Well, all right," Serena agreed as Rini cheered. "But if White Blaze gets tired of carrying you, you'll walk with the rest of us. Deal?"  
  
"Deal," Rini agreed. The group of eleven left the park and head for Mia's house, followed by Rini on White Blaze, and Luna and Artemis...TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. Great Balls of Fire

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part Two-Great Balls of Fire  
  
It has been almost a day since the Sailor Scouts arrived in Toyama. Since there were eight extra guests, including the cats, staying in Mia's home, she was forced to place everyone into two separate rooms: the Ronin Warriors in one bedroom and the Sailor Scouts and Rini in another bedroom just across the hall.  
  
Rae was looking out the windowsill of the temporary bedroom, in silent thought, when Serena, Amy, and Mina, followed by Rini, Luna, and Artemis, entered the room.  
  
"Hey, Rae, are you all right?" Mina asked.  
  
Rae turned toward her friends and replied, "I'm fine, really. I just needed some time to myself, that's all."  
  
"Well, I hope you're hungry," Lita announced as she entered the room, "because lunch is ready."  
  
"It's about time, Lita!" Serena exclaimed. "I'm starving!" She raced out of the room, with Rini at her heels.  
  
"Well, we'd better hurry," Luna replied to the girls, "or there will be noting left for us!" The girls laughed as they made their way downstairs.  
  
The four girls took their place at the table, where a plate of food was waiting for each of them. Serena was already chowing down, eating as though she hadn't had any food in days. Rini was also eating, but not as fast as Serena was.  
  
"Mia!" Lita shouted toward the kitchen. "Don't bother doing our dishes. I'll wash them for you." Mia appeared at the kitchen door, drying a plate with a small dishcloth.  
  
"Thank you, Lita," she replied. "That's very kind of you."  
  
"No problem!" Lita admitted.  
  
As Mia headed back into the kitchen, Mina asked her, "Where are the guys?"  
  
Mia turned her head and replied, "Don't worry about them, Mina. They're out in the woods, but they should be back in about half an hour." With that, Mia went back to the kitchen.  
  
The girls continued eating in silence. Luna broke the silence. "Girls," she started, "did any of you happen to see some strange lights coming from the sky yesterday?" They shook their heads no.  
  
"What do you mean, Luna?" Serena asked.  
  
"Yesterday the three of us," she started, indicating Rini, Artemis and herself, "saw some strange lights in the sky. As soon as we saw them, the lights disappeared."  
  
"But, what could they mean?" Rae asked Luna.  
  
"I think I know." The girls looked at Rini, who was playing with her food, lost in thought.  
  
"Do you know something that we don't?" Serena cautiously asked Rini.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure," she started, "but this information is from what my mommy told me before I left Crystal Tokyo. There were rumors about these weapons that the Dark Moon people created. These weapons were called the Celestial Stones, because each stone absorbs energy from one of the five elements of nature: fire, earth, air, water, and spirit. Each stone also contains a fragment of the Dark Crystal. When the Celestial Stones gather enough energy, a powerful creature would emerge from each one. If the creatures are not destroyed, the people from the Dark Moon will take them back to Crystal Tokyo..." Rini started to cry at the thought of this.  
  
Serena got up from her seat and went to Rini's side. "It's okay, Rini," she whispered as she hugged Rini...  
  
Meanwhile, out in the woods not far from the house, the Ronin Warriors were having a private conversation. Kento was chowing down on the remaining sandwiches Mia packed for them.  
  
"Hey, Kento!" Cye shouted to his friend. "Take it easy with those sandwiches. We're not far from the house, you know."  
  
Ryo was leaning against a tree, lost in thought until a friend's voice brought him back to reality.  
  
"Ryo, are you okay?" Sage asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ryo replied.  
  
"We should be heading back," Rowen mentioned as he glanced at his watch.  
  
"You guys go ahead," Ryo told them. "I need some time alone. Come on, White Blaze!"  
  
As he got onto the tiger's back, Rowen asked, "When will you be back?"  
  
"I'll be back before sunset. Let's go, White Blaze!" The two of them ran off into the woods, while the remaining four grabbed their things and headed back up to the house...  
  
Back in the house, Rini managed to calm down. "I wonder," Amy muttered aloud, "if there's a way we could track down these Celestial Stones before the creatures emerge from them."  
  
"I know how we can do that!" Rini replied. "Wait here." She got up from the table and ran upstairs. Moments later, she came back downstairs with her Luna Sphere.  
  
"LUNA SPHERE...KITTY MAGIC!" Rini cried out as she threw the Luna Sphere into the air. Instantly, an object that looked like a hand-held computer appeared and landed in Rini's open hands. It was pink with a gold crescent moon on the lid.  
  
"This is a pocket tracer," she explained as she held the device up in the air. "It can be programmed to track down anything, including the Celestial Stones!"  
  
She opened the tracer and began to type rapidly, while the Sailor Scouts watched in awe. Moments later, Rini announced, "Done! I've programmed it to track down the five Celestial Stones. And look! It found one of the stones already!" The girls looked at the screen, where they could see a flashing red blip and a solid white blip.  
  
"What do those dots mean, Rini?" Rae asked her.  
  
"That red dot at the top of the screen is the Celestial Stone of Fire," Rini explained, "and that white dot at the bottom indicates where the tracer is."  
  
"Can we find out where the Fire Stone is?"  
  
"Of course, we can, Rae." Rini pressed a couple of buttons, and a map appeared on the screen.  
  
"Let's see," Rini muttered, "the Fire Stone is located several miles south away from here."  
  
"Yeah, but who's going to look for it?" Serena asked.  
  
"I'll do it." The other girls turned toward Rae, who continued. "That Fire Stone needs to be in a hot place in order to gather energy. Since fire is my element, it would make sense if I go retrieve the Fire Stone."  
  
"That's true," Amy agreed, "but how are you going to get to the other side of Toyama in time?"  
  
"I have an idea," Rae muttered out loud as she walked to the kitchen door. "Mia," she called out, "could you do a favor for me?"  
  
Mia came through the door and asked, "Yes, Rae. What is it?"  
  
"I need to check out something very important on the other side of Toyama. Could you give me a ride, please?"  
  
"Of course, I will. Just let me get the car keys," Mia explained as she went back to the kitchen.  
  
"But, Rae, are you sure you want to go alone?" Lita asked her.  
  
"Don't worry, guys," Rae reassured them. "If worst comes to worst, I can always contact you through our wrist communicators."  
  
Just then, Mia came back into the dining room, keys in hand. "Are you ready, Rae?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, let's go!" As Rae walked toward the front door, she felt a tug on her wrist. She looked down at Rini, who had both hands around her wrist. "What is it, Rini?" she asked.  
  
"Here, you might need this," Rini explained as she placed the tracer in Rae's open hand. She smiled at the brave little girl as she stood up and headed toward the door.  
  
"Good luck, Rae!" Serena shouted.  
  
"Thanks, Serena," Rae replied before she walked out of the door. They watched through the window as Rae and Mia got into the car and left the house...  
  
Meanwhile, Ryo, who was in his red and white sub-armor, and White Blaze have reached their final destination. Ryo got off the tiger and looked up at the massive mountain.  
  
"Mount Fuji," he whispered to himself, "it's been a while since I came here." He stood there for a moment, staring at the still-active volcano. He shook out of his trance and turned to White Blaze.  
  
"Come on, boy, let's go!" Ryo yelled as the two of them raced toward the base of Mt. Fuji. They were completely unaware that their enemies were watching them as they headed toward the base of the volcano...  
  
"We have a problem, Amethyst," Topaz stated while looking at the images of Ryo and White Blaze through his crystal ball. "It appears that Ryo of Wildfire has discovered where the Fire Stone is hidden."  
  
"We can't allow him to get too close," Amethyst replied. "The Fire Stone is almost fully charged. Destroy him, now!"  
  
"Right away, my lady," he replied as he pulled a lever, revealing a wide screen and a weapons panel. The screen turned on, showing the images of Ryo and White Blaze. Topaz took a seat in front of the screen and started typing rapidly. After a few moments, he stopped typing and turned his head toward Amethyst. "We're locked on target," he reported.  
  
"Excellent!" she replied. "Fire!"  
  
Topaz responded by pressing a large red button on his left. The screen showed Ryo narrowly avoiding a blast from what appeared to be a bolt of purple lightning.  
  
"You missed, brother!" an angry Amethyst yelled.  
  
"I won't miss this time, sister," Topaz muttered as he pressed the red button again. This time, the blast apparently found its mark, for the screen showed Ryo lying on the ground, eyes closed.  
  
"That's one Ronin Warrior down," he boasted to his sister.  
  
She gave an evil smile as she added, "And four more to go!"  
  
Meanwhile, back at Mia's house, the girls were sitting in the living room, waiting for any word from Rae. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.  
  
Serena ran to the door, checked the peephole, and opened the door. "Hi, guys!" she greeted cheerfully to the four guys standing there.  
  
"Hey, Serena," Rowen replied as he and the other three entered the house.  
  
"Where's Ryo and White Blaze?" Amy asked.  
  
"Ryo said he needed some time to himself," Cye answered, "so don't worry about him. He should be back before sunset." The four guys took their seats on the floor. There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.  
  
Kento got up and muttered out loud, "I wonder if Mia has any food out for us."  
  
As he headed toward the kitchen, he heard Mina say, "Kento, Mia's not here."  
  
"Then where is she?" Sage asked.  
  
"She left with Rae half an hour ago," Lita told him. "Rae had to check out something very important."  
  
"And what is that?" Rowen asked them.  
  
"Well," Serena started, "Rini can explain it better than we can." The four boys looked at Rini, who took a deep breath and repeated what she just said to the Sailor Scouts...  
  
In the meantime, on the other side of Toyama, Rae was looking at the tracer's screen, while Mia drove by Rae's directions.  
  
"Wait! Stop here, Mia," Rae exclaimed.  
  
Mia brought the car to a halt and asked, "What's wrong, Rae?"  
  
"The Fire Stone is nearby," Rae replied, while pointing at a mountain. "It's in there. I can sense it. You should head back to the house. I'll be fine."  
  
"Well, okay," Mia replied uncertainly as Rae got out of the car, "but if you're going to explore around Mt. Fuji, please be careful. It's an active volcano." With that, Mia turned the car around and left Rae at the end of the dirt road.  
  
Rae started heading toward the base of Mt. Fuji, with several thoughts racing in her head.  
  
_That was pretty clever of them,_ she thought, _placing the Fire Stone inside an active volcano._ As she got closer to the base of Mt. Fuji, Rae heard a deep roar from her left.  
  
_That sounded like White Blaze. Oh, I hope nothing happened to Ryo,_ she thought as she raced toward the direction of the sound. She looked around a large boulder and discovered that she was wrong. There was Ryo in his sub- armor, lying on the ground unconscious. White Blaze was standing next to him, with his head bowed down. The tiger looked up when Rae showed up and growled a warning.  
  
"Take it easy, White Blaze," she whispered calmly to the tiger. "I'm going to help Ryo." White Blaze seemed to understand her and stepped back.  
  
After doing a quick check, Rae was relieved to know that Ryo was still alive. Suddenly, Ryo started to slowly, but surely, open his eyes. He was surprised to see Rae standing next to him.  
  
"Rae," he muttered as he started to get up. "What's going on?"  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Rae replied. "This is how I found you, lying on the ground unconscious."  
  
Ryo sat there for a moment, holding his hand against his forehead. "I remember. I was heading up to Mt. Fuji," he recalled, pointing to the volcano as he spoke, "and this blast of purple lightning nearly zapped me. The next thing I know, you're here trying to wake me up." The two of them stood up and looked in the direction of Mt. Fuji.  
  
"Why were you going to go inside an active volcano?" Rae asked.  
  
"I go in there," Ryo started, "to meditate and to help clear my head. Now it's my turn. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm looking for the Fire Stone, and I have a feeling it's inside there," Rae replied, pointing at Mt. Fuji.  
  
"What's the Fire Stone?"  
  
"Let's just say it's something that the brother-sister team from the Dark Moon made, and you know that's not good. We have to get that stone out of there before the creature inside it is fully charged."  
  
She started running toward the mountain until Ryo shouted, "Wait!"  
  
She stopped and turned around. "Why? What's the problem?" she asked him.  
  
"The heat inside Mt. Fuji is intense. We should suit up first."  
  
"Right!" Rae took out her transformation wand and yelled, "Mars Star Power!" She was instantly transformed into Sailor Mars.  
  
"Very impressive," Ryo admitted, giving her a light applause.  
  
"Thank you," Sailor Mars replied. "Now, it's your turn."  
  
"Right! Armor of Wildfire! DAO JIN!" He soon emerged from the light that engulfed him, wearing the Wildfire armor.  
  
"Are you ready?" Sailor Mars asked.  
  
"You bet I am!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Great, let's go!" she shouted. Ryo, White Blaze, and Sailor Mars continued running to the base of Mt. Fuji.  
  
When they reached the base, Sailor Mars looked up at the opening at the top of the volcano. "It's too steep for us to climb," she told Ryo. "Do you know a faster way to get up there?"  
  
"You bet I do," he responded. Ryo walked over to White Blaze and got on his back as though he was riding a horse. "Hurry, get on," Ryo told Sailor Mars, indicating for her to sit on White Blaze.  
  
"But, can White Blaze support our combined weight?" Sailor Mars asked.  
  
"Of course, he can," Ryo replied. "Once, he carried both Rowen and I, and we were both in our full armor. If White Blaze can carry Rowen and I, he should have no problem carrying the two of us to the top of Mt. Fuji." Now convinced, Sailor Mars got on White Blaze, right behind Ryo.  
  
"Hang on," he told her. She held onto Ryo's waist as White Blaze started to run up the face of Mt. Fuji...  
  
Meanwhile, up in the spacecraft where the Dark Moon people dwell, Topaz was watching the image of White Blaze carrying Ryo and Sailor Mars up the face of Mt. Fuji.  
  
"He's still alive, isn't he?"  
  
Topaz turned around and saw his sister standing there. "Unfortunately, yes, my lady," he replied. "Ryo of Wildfire is still alive and continuing his way to the volcano. There's more. Sailor Mars is with him."  
  
"It doesn't matter if they try to stop us now," Amethyst replied. "By the time they reach the Fire Stone, it will be too late for them to stop the creature from emerging. They will both perish!" She gave out an evil chuckle as she watched the threesome through her brother's crystal ball...  
  
White Blaze finally reached the top of Mt. Fuji, and his two riders got off. Sailor Mars walked to the edge of the volcano and looked around the scorching pit of lava inside.  
  
"Look, Ryo. There it is!" she exclaimed. "The Fire Stone!"  
  
Ryo looked in the direction Sailor Mars was pointing and saw it: a large red orb resting on top of a rock jutting out of the center of the lava pit, which was glowing with a mysterious red light. The two jumped into the volcano and landed safely on a rocky ledge. There were several other crags protruding out of the molten rock.  
  
"Wait here," Ryo told Sailor Mars before he leapt to the nearest rock.  
  
"Be careful," she warned him as she watched Ryo make his way to the Fire Stone.  
  
Leaping from stepping-stone to stepping-stone, Ryo never kept his eyes off the Fire Stone. He finally reached the center stone where the red orb laid. He picked it up and was on his way back when, suddenly, the ground started to shake vigorously. Ryo lost his balance and fell into the pool of molten lava.  
  
"RYO!!!" Sailor Mars screamed. She felt it was too late to save him. Suddenly, she heard a noise that caused her to look toward the spot where Ryo fell in. All of a sudden, Ryo emerged from the lava pool and landed right next to Sailor Mars.  
  
Trying to keep back the tears that were already starting to brim up in her eyes, Sailor Mars asked, "Ryo, are you all right?"  
  
Ryo turned toward her, and she saw, for the first time, the white mask that covered his face. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'm just fine."  
  
"Are you sure?" Sailor Mars asked as the mask covering Ryo's face disappeared into his helmet. "I mean, you just fell into a lava pit!"  
  
"I'm okay, Sailor Mars," he replied. "My armor protects me from heat, so I didn't feel a thing."  
  
"Yeah, but how did you...?" she started to ask him.  
  
Before Sailor Mars could finish her question, a steady blast of lava exploded from the volcano. "Oh, no! We're too late to stop it!" she cried out.  
  
"Stop what?" Ryo asked her.  
  
Before she could respond, a creature emerged from the molten blast of lava. She had burning red eyes that glowed like red-hot coals, and red and orange hair that stood up like a flame of a candle. She was wearing a sleeveless red dress with a slit down the right side of the skirt and red boots. On her forehead, she bore the symbol of the Dark Moon family. She looked toward the Ronin Warrior and Sailor Scout and announced, "I am Flarea, servant to the Dark Moon Kingdom, and the one who will destroy you both!"  
  
She launched a blast of hot lava straight at them, but Ryo managed to push Sailor Mars out of the way in time. When the smoke cleared, Ryo and Sailor Mars were nowhere to be seen. Flarea looked around, but she couldn't seem to find them. In the meantime, the two young heroes were hiding behind a huge boulder. Ryo carefully watched Flarea while Sailor Mars tried to contact the Sailor Scouts with her wrist communicator.  
  
"Any luck yet?" Ryo whispered to her.  
  
"It's no use," she whispered back to him. "The heat from the volcano must be jamming the signal."  
  
"I have an idea," he whispered, motioning for White Blaze to come to him. "The guys should be back at the house by now," Ryo explained. "If we send White Blaze to the house, the guys will know that I'm in trouble, and they'll come to help us."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea," Sailor Mars whispered, "but just wait a second." Ryo and White Blaze watched as she took off her wrist communicator.  
  
"If White Blaze takes this with him," she explained while holding the communicator in her hand, "the girls will know that I'm with you."  
  
"Okay," Ryo whispered. "I'll distract Flarea, so White Blaze can get out of here undetected. Once he's out, you'll join me."  
  
"Right," Sailor Mars agreed with him.  
  
As Ryo emerged from the boulder, with both katanas drawn, to face Flarea, Sailor Mars watched as White Blaze ran up toward the top of Mt. Fuji, carrying her communicator in his mouth. When he reached the top, she breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
_Way to go, White Blaze,_ she thought to herself. _It's up to you, now._ With that, Sailor Mars left the safety of the boulder to help out Ryo...  
  
Meanwhile, back at Mia's house, while the girls were helping Mia prepare dinner (well, except for Serena), the guys were waiting in the living room.  
  
Rowen was looking out the window at the sun, which was starting to go down. "You guys," he finally admitted. "I'm concerned about Ryo. He should have been back by now."  
  
The others nodded in agreement. Just then, a loud scratching noise came from the front door.  
  
"That's White Blaze," Sage replied as Kento made his way to the door. "Why would he scratch at the door like that?"  
  
"Perhaps Ryo is injured," Cye muttered slowly as Kento opened the door and let the tiger inside.  
  
"Well, whatever he is," Kento retorted as he looked outside, "he's not here."  
  
"What's this?" Rowen asked as he pointed at something dangling from White Blaze's mouth. He approached the tiger and removed the item from his mouth so everyone could see. It was a watch, or at least it looked like one, with white wrist straps and a red lid, with a gold symbol on top of the lid. Rowen took a closer look at the symbol and realized that it was the symbol of Mars.  
  
_It must belong to Rae,_ he thought to himself. _I better confirm this before I say anything._  
  
He approached the kitchen door and shouted, "Excuse me, girls, but could you step out here for a minute? It's important."  
  
The four girls emerged from the kitchen into the living room. "What's wrong, Rowen?" Amy asked.  
  
"Do you recognize this?" he asked them, holding up the device.  
  
The girls gasped when they saw what Rowen was holding up. "That's Rae's communicator!" Serena exclaimed.  
  
"I had a feeling it belonged to your friend," Rowen responded. "She must be with Ryo, otherwise White Blaze wouldn't have brought her communicator to us."  
  
"Do you know where Ryo would be?" Lita asked the guys.  
  
"He usually goes up to Mt. Fuji to clear his mind," Sage replied. "I'll bet that they're both inside."  
  
"Inside a mountain?" Mina asked. "How is that possible?"  
  
"Mt. Fuji is not a mountain," Kento retorted, "it's a volcano!"  
  
"If Rae's inside the volcano, then the Fire Stone must be inside as well." Everyone turned toward Rini, who was standing in front of the kitchen doors.  
  
"If that's true, then Ryo and Rae need our help," Sage muttered thoughtfully. "Mia!" he yelled. Mia came into the living room.  
  
"Yes, what is it, Sage?" she asked.  
  
"We need to go to Mt. Fuji immediately," he told her. "I need the keys to the jeep." Mia fished through her pockets, pulled out the car keys and handed them to Sage. He thanked her as he and the others made their way out the front door.  
  
"You stay here with Mia," Serena instructed Rini before she left. Mia and Rini watched as Sage, Cye, and the girls piled into the red jeep and left, followed by Rowen and Kento on White Blaze...  
  
Meanwhile, back inside Mt. Fuji, Ryo and Sailor Mars were still fighting against Flarea, who seemed to be getting stronger with every blow.  
  
"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Sailor Mars yelled as the rings of fire repeatedly struck the creature.  
  
"Pathetic!" Flarea sneered.  
  
Ryo took this opportunity to strike her from behind. He brought his katanas together and yelled "FLARE UP NOW!" as he brought them down through Flarea. For a moment, it appeared that Ryo was the victor, since Flarea collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Is it over?" Sailor Mars asked him. Before Ryo could respond, they heard an evil chuckle from behind them. They turned around and there was Flarea, breathing heavily with fire burning in her eyes.  
  
"When will you two learn that your attacks won't work on me?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Aww, man," Ryo replied. "She's tough. How are we ever going to destroy this thing?"  
  
"I have an idea, Ryo," Sailor Mars revealed.  
  
"What is it, and make it quick."  
  
"Attacking her by ourselves isn't working. I know it's a long shot, but if we combine our attacks, it might be enough to take out Flarea."  
  
"It's worth a shot." They looked up at Flarea, who looked ready to fight them both. Ryo brought his katanas together and raised them above his head.  
  
"FLARE UP NOW!"  
  
"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!"  
  
The combined attacks hit Flarea head-on. She let out a hideous scream as her body became a pile of gray ashes.  
  
"All right, we smoked her," Ryo cheered. Suddenly, the earth started to shake violently. Sailor Mars was knocked down to the ground.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked with fear in her voice.  
  
"The volcano, it's going to erupt!" Ryo cried out. "We got to get out of here, now!" He quickly pulled Sailor Mars up to her feet and they ran as fast as they could to the mouth of the volcano...  
  
In the meantime, just outside Mt. Fuji, Mia's red jeep stopped at the base of the volcano. The doors opened, and Sage and Cye came out in their sub- armor, followed by Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus. White Blaze stopped next to the jeep, letting off Rowen and Kento, who were also in their sub-armor. Suddenly, they heard a loud rumbling from Mt. Fuji.  
  
"What...was...that?" Sailor Moon slowly asked. Before anyone could answer, an incredible explosion of smoke and ashes erupted from the volcano. The eight heroes went behind the jeep to shield themselves from the blast.  
  
A few minutes later, which felt more like a few hours to the four Sailor Scouts and the four Ronin Warriors, the eruption stopped. Ashes fell down heavily and smoke blanketed the immediate area like a thick fog. The eight heroes stepped out from behind the jeep and cautiously walked toward the base of the volcano.  
  
"I wonder," Cye thought aloud, "if Ryo and Rae are all right."  
  
"I'll see if I can find them," Sailor Mercury replied as she touched her earring and her visor appeared.  
  
"Any sign of them, Sailor Mercury?" Rowen asked as she looked toward Mt. Fuji.  
  
"There's no trace of them in the volcano at all," she answered. "I think we might be...No, wait a minute!" She pointed toward the smoke in front of her. "There they are, coming straight toward us!" she cried.  
  
"Ryo! Rae!" Sage yelled through cupped hands, "Can you hear me?"  
  
"You don't need to yell, Sage!" Ryo shouted. "We heard you!" The eight heroes sighed with relief as they watched Ryo and Sailor Mars emerge from the smoke screen surrounding them.  
  
"Are you all right, guys?" Sailor Moon asked with concern in her voice.  
  
"We're just fine, Sailor Moon," Sailor Mars retorted.  
  
"Come on, let's go back to Mia's," Ryo said. "We both can use some rest."  
  
As they prepared to leave Mt. Fuji, the ten heroes didn't notice Topaz appear above the mouth of the volcano. He stretched out his hand above the bubbling pool of lava. Suddenly, a spurt of lava bursted, and the Fire Stone rose out of the lava pool and landed in Topaz's open hand. He gave out a sinister laugh as he disappeared with the Fire Stone in his hand...TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. When Lightning Strikes

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part Three-When Lightning Strikes  
  
A day has passed since Ryo of Wildfire and Sailor Mars have defeated Flarea, the creature that emerged from the Fire Stone. Serena, Amy, Rae, Mina, and Rini were in their room, all dressed in their pajamas, waiting for Lita to join them. The day had been pretty miserable so far. Storm clouds had blocked out the sun around noontime, and it had been raining heavily ever since. Serena and Rini were sitting on the only bed in the room, while the others sat on top of sleeping bags that Mia provided for them.  
  
"This storm is becoming very severe," Amy mentioned as she looked out the window at the dark billowing storm clouds.  
  
Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of lightning, followed quickly by a roaring clap of thunder. Two screams were heard by all, and the three girls turned toward the bed, where the screams came from.  
  
They tried to suppress their giggles when they saw two lumps under the bed covers, where Serena and Rini were once sitting.  
  
"Serena, don't you think it's about time for you to overcome this stupid fear of yours?" Rae complained.  
  
"I'm not afraid, Rae," Serena's muffled voice replied from the larger of the two lumps. "I'm just trying to comfort Rini, that's all."  
  
"Stop lying, Serena," the smaller lump replied. "You're afraid of thunder and lightning as much as I am!"  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"You are, too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Too!" The other girls groaned as the arguing continued.  
  
"Why are you two hiding under the covers?" a familiar voice asked Serena and Rini. They got out from underneath the covers to see who was talking to them. The speaker was Lita, who was standing in the doorway with Luna and Artemis at her feet. She was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, and she had her hair wrapped up in a towel.  
  
Another flash of lightning occurred, followed by a clap of thunder. The girls screamed again and pulled the cover over their heads. Lita laughed and closed the door, while Luna and Artemis jumped on the bed.  
  
"Come on now, Serena," Luna pleaded. "Is that any way for the leader of the Sailor Scouts to behave?"  
  
Luna's speech convinced Serena to come out from underneath the covers. Lita sat down on her sleeping bag and unwrapped the towel from around her head.  
  
She pulled up her slightly wet auburn hair back into a ponytail as she asked, "So, Rae, what was it like fighting that creature? What should we expect when our turn comes around?"  
  
"Well..." she started until she was interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
"Who is it?" Lita asked cautiously.  
  
"It's me, Sage."  
  
She got up and opened the door. Sage was standing at the doorway. "I was wondering if you were all right," he asked. "We heard some screams from your room and..."  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that," Lita said cheerfully. "Serena and Rini were just spooked from the lightning, that's all."  
  
"Well, if everyone's okay..." Sage murmured. "Good night, everyone."  
  
"Good night, Sage," the six girls chorused as he closed the door. Lita sat back down as Rae continued.  
  
"Well, Flarea, the creature that emerged from the Fire Stone, was incredibly powerful. It took the combined attacks of both Ryo and me to destroy her. You'll have to expect the same thing with any other creatures that emerge from the remaining Celestial Stones."  
  
"Did you pick up any more of those stones on your tracer, Rini?" Artemis asked. Rini reached over to the bed stand, picked up her tracer and turned it on.  
  
"Still nothing," she replied as she turned it off and put it back on the bed stand. "It probably only picks them up when they have a certain energy level."  
  
"Well, I don't know about you guys," Serena yawned as she laid down on the bed, "but I'm ready for bed. Good night, everyone." With that, she fell fast asleep. The other girls and the two cats giggled as they settled in and went to sleep...  
  
Meanwhile, the Ronin Warriors were in their room across the hall. Like the girls, they were also discussing the battle between Ryo, Sailor Mars, and Flarea.  
  
"So, you're saying that this 'Flarea' creature was so powerful, that it took your attack combined with Sailor Mars' attack to defeat her?" Cye asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's right," Ryo answered. "That's why it's important for us to find the rest of those stones before it's too late."  
  
"You know, Ryo, it seems pretty suspicious that the Celestial Stone of Fire was inside Mt. Fuji, the very same place where you were resting after our first encounter with Talpa," Sage mentioned thoughtfully. "Maybe the other stones are in the exact same places where the rest of us were resting."  
  
"You could be right about that, Sage," Rowen agreed.  
  
"We'll look into that tomorrow," Ryo interrupted, "but now, let's get some sleep." Rowen got up and turned off the lights. Everyone fell fast asleep, except for Sage, who was just lying there, staring at the ceiling in deep thought. After a few hours passed by, he slowly got up and carefully made his way to the door.  
  
_I'm sorry, Ryo,_ he thought to himself as he slowly opened the door, _but if we wait till tomorrow, it might be too late._

Sage walked out the door and carefully closed it behind him. The hallway was pitch black, so he flipped on a light switch. With the lights on, he noticed that the girls' bedroom door was open a crack. Sage slowly crept to the crack and peeked inside. Everyone in the room was asleep, so he carefully closed the door and continued to make his way downstairs...  
  
Unbeknownst to Sage, Lita did wake up from the hallway light. She was about to get up when she heard someone sneaking up to the door. To play it safe, Lita lied back down and closed her eyes, but kept one eye slightly open. Through her slightly open eye, she saw Sage come up to their door. He looked around at the girls, and slowly closed the door.  
  
After hearing his footsteps on the stairs, Lita opened her eyes and got up. She looked at the digital alarm clock on the bed stand, which showed that the time was 1:03 AM.

_Now, where would Sage be going at one o'clock in the morning?_ she thought to herself as she put on a pair of sneakers.  
  
When Lita finished tying her shoes, she heard the front door open and close. She looked out the window and barely saw Sage, in his green and white sub-armor, running through the darkness and the pouring rain toward the woods.  
  
"I better follow him," Lita muttered to herself as she rummaged through her backpack. She pulled out her transformation wand, a poncho, and an oversized flashlight. "I'm going to need these," she muttered as she zipped up her backpack and put on her poncho. Lita quietly made her way to the door and was about to leave when she stopped. She looked at the bed stand, where Rini's tracer was. She picked it up and turned it on.  
  
"Still nothing," she muttered, "but I'll take it with me just in case." With that, Lita put the tracer in her pocket, along with her transformation wand, picked up her flashlight, and left the room.  
  
Lita carefully made her way downstairs toward the front door. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly, being careful not to wake up anyone. She stepped outside and carefully closed the door behind her, not realizing that she didn't shut the door all the way.  
  
"Aww, man!" Lita murmured as she pulled up the hood of her poncho. "It's still raining cats and dogs!" She turned on her flashlight and ran into the direction she saw Sage run off in. After a few minutes, she stopped to catch her breath. Lita was in a small clearing and Sage was nowhere in sight. She also noticed that it was getting lighter outside, so she turned off her flashlight.  
  
Suddenly, Lita noticed a faint green glow coming from her pocket. She pulled out the tracer and looked at the screen, which showed a solid white blip and a flashing green blip not far from it.  
  
"That has to be the Celestial Stone of Spirit!" Lita cried out. "Rini must have been right about the tracer. Otherwise, we would have picked up the signal sooner." She took one final look around and left, following the directions from the tracer.

_No time to look for Sage now!_ she thought to herself. _I've got to find that Spirit Stone before it's too late!_  
  
In the meantime, Sage was standing in front of the opening of a cave.

_The Cave of the Pinnacles,_ he thought to himself. _I can sense it. The Spirit Stone is in there and I'm going in after it._  
  
He was about to enter the cave when a noise caused him to turn around. He heard a twig snap coming from the woods. Not knowing who or what made the noise, Sage decided not to take any chances. He went behind a bush near the entrance of the cave and crouched down, preparing himself to spring on the figure emerging from the woods if it turned out to be an enemy. He saw a figure emerge from the woods, but he couldn't tell who or what it was because of a hood covering the stranger's head...  
  
Meanwhile, Lita looked up from the tracer. She was in another small clearing. There were a few scattered bushes and a cave right in front of her.  
  
"According to this tracer," she whispered to herself, "the Spirit Stone is inside that cave." She put the tracer in her pocket and walked to the entrance of the cave.  
  
She was about to go inside when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Lita responded by grabbing the attacker's arm and flipping him over her head onto the ground. She grabbed his shoulder and was about to punch him in the face when she recognized the attacker.  
  
"SAGE!" Lita yelled as she removed the hood to reveal her face. It was indeed Sage, who looked up at her in disbelief.  
  
_I can't believe it!_ he thought to himself. _Lita flipped me over like a rag doll!_  
  
"What was the big idea, Sage?" Lita asked angrily, which snapped him back to reality.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lita," he explained as he stood up, "but I didn't recognize you with that hood covering your head. Now, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Probably the same reason why you're here: I'm looking for the Spirit Stone," she answered.  
  
"How were you able to locate it?"  
  
"I used this tracer," Lita explained as she pulled the pocket tracer out of her pocket to show Sage. "It's been programmed to track down the five Celestial Stones. This is how Rae found the Fire Stone at Mt. Fuji."  
  
"I knew it!" Sage muttered half- aloud.  
  
"You knew what?" Lita asked.  
  
"I'll explain later," he replied. "Right now, let's find that stone!" With that, he grabbed Lita's arm and led her into the cave...  
  
Meanwhile, back at Mia's house, Ryo woke up and noticed that Sage was missing from the room. He silently walked out of the room into the hallway. He quietly walked down the stairs and heard a noise from the kitchen. As Ryo opened the kitchen door, he whispered, "Sage, is that you?"  
  
"Sage isn't in here," he heard a female voice reply. Ryo looked down and saw Luna and Artemis looking up at him.  
  
"Hey, have you two seen Sage down here at all?"  
  
"No, we haven't," Artemis responded. "You're the first one we've seen down here."  
  
"Are you sure he's not upstairs?" Luna asked with concern in her voice. Ryo shook his head no. "We better split up and look for him." Ryo and Artemis nodded in agreement as the trio split up to look for Sage.  
  
A few minutes later, Luna shouted, "Ryo! Artemis! Come here quickly!" They ran over to Luna, who was at the front door. "Look, the door has been left open," she pointed out.  
  
As Artemis approached the door, he shivered from the cold air near the door. "Brrr! This door has been open for a few hours, at least," he observed.  
  
"Which means," Ryo muttered, "that he must have left in the middle of the night."  
  
"But, why would Sage leave the house in the middle of the night?" Luna asked Ryo.  
  
"He probably went to look for the Spirit Stone."  
  
"But, how would he know where to look for it?" Artemis asked.  
  
"I'll explain later," Ryo replied. "Right now, we should wake up the others and let them know what's going on."  
  
"Right," the two cats agreed as they followed Ryo upstairs.  
  
Luna and Artemis ran into the girls' room and screamed, "GIRLS! TIME TO WAKE UP!" Serena and Rini screamed from the unexpected wake-up call, while the other girls yawned and got up.  
  
"Luna, Artemis, what's going on?" Amy asked the two cats in a drowsy voice.  
  
"We have a bit of a crisis on our hands," Luna told the girls. "Sage is missing. He left the house in the middle of the night. Ryo thinks that he might have went looking for the Spirit Stone."  
  
"But, how would he know where the Spirit Stone is?" Mina asked.  
  
"We're not exactly sure," Artemis admitted, "but Ryo said he would explain later. Now, let's get going!"  
  
"Hey, where's Lita?" Rae asked, looking at her empty sleeping bag. "She's gone!"  
  
"So is my pocket tracer!" Rini exclaimed, looking at the bed stand.  
  
"Lita must be with Sage, so we better hurry," Luna said. The girls nodded as they began to change. The two cats left the room to give the girls some privacy.  
  
Just then, Ryo stepped out of the bedroom across from them. He has already changed into a red sweater, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. "The guys are awake; they're just getting changed," he told the cats as he shut the bedroom door.  
  
"Same thing with the girls," Artemis replied.  
  
"Ryo," Luna started, "we have a bigger problem now."  
  
"What 'bigger problem?' "they heard Cye ask. Ryo turned around to see Cye, Kento, and Rowen standing behind him, fully dressed.  
  
"The problem is that Lita is also missing," Luna explained. "I believe that she's with Sage. Do you have any idea where Sage would look for the Spirit Stone?"  
  
The guys hesitated for a second before Rowen answered, "He probably went to look for it in the Cave of the Pinnacles."  
  
"Then, that's where we'll go first," Luna replied as the bedroom door opened. The girls were all dressed and ready to go. The eight heroes made their way downstairs, followed closely by Luna, Artemis, and Rini.  
  
Downstairs, the group ran into Mia, who was wearing a bathrobe over her pajamas. "Good morning, guys," she greeted. "What's going on?"  
  
"No time to explain, Mia," Ryo told her. "We have to go find Sage and Lita!" He whistled for White Blaze, and the massive white tiger came to his side. They left the house, leaving Mia alone with Rini, Luna, and Artemis.  
  
"Would you like some breakfast?" Mia asked the little girl.  
  
She turned around and replied pleasantly, "Yes, please."  
  
"What would you like for breakfast?"  
  
"Pancakes, please."  
  
"All right, then, pancakes it is!" Mia walked into the kitchen, followed by Rini and the two cats...  
  
Meanwhile, Ryo had White Blaze sniffing around for Sage's scent, while the others watched.  
  
"That's it, boy," Ryo encouraged the tiger as he walked around in circles, trying to pick up the scent of the missing Ronin Warrior from the muddy ground. A couple of moments later, White Blaze stopped and looked up toward the woods. He let out a roar as he ran into the woods.  
  
"Quickly, this way!" Ryo shouted as he and the others ran after the tiger, who was a few strides ahead of them...  
  
While the remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts searched the woods, Lita and Sage were still exploring the Cave of the Pinnacles. Lita took off her poncho and left it at the cave's entrance. Sage held the flashlight steady while Lita looked at the tracer.  
  
"We're not far from the Spirit Stone," she told Sage as they slowly headed forward. "According to this, the Spirit Stone should be right about-- WHOA!!" she screamed as she fell straight down.  
  
Sage reacted quickly by grabbing her arm, but in the process, Lita dropped the tracer. She watched as it bounced off the sides of the deep crevasse and disappeared from view.  
  
_That could have been me,_ she thought to herself as she felt a tug on her arm as Sage was pulling her up.  
  
As soon as Lita was back on solid ground, Sage asked, "Are you okay, Lita?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered as she looked down the gaping ravine. Lita looked up at him and said, "Thank you, Sage, for saving my life."  
  
Sage was about to respond, but he saw something at the bottom of the ravine. "What's wrong?" Lita asked.  
  
"There's something down there," he replied. She looked down and saw what Sage was looking at, a strange green glow coming from the bottom of the crevasse!  
  
"The Spirit Stone!" they cried out simultaneously.  
  
"We got to get down there," Sage explained as he stood up.  
  
"But, how can we get down there without getting killed?" Lita asked him as she got up as well.  
  
"I have an idea. Armor of Halo! DAO CHI!" Lita was astonished as she watched Sage transform into the full armor.  
  
"I ought to do the same," Lita replied as she pulled her wand out of her pocket. "Jupiter Star Power!"  
  
After she finished with her transformation, Sailor Jupiter asked Sage, "Okay, so what's your idea?"  
  
"Just hold on to me," Sage said. Sailor Jupiter looked at him and realized what his "idea" was.  
  
"We're gonna jump!?! Are you crazy!"  
  
"Only one way to find out," he responded. With that, Sage grabbed Sailor Jupiter and jumped into the crevasse. Terrified, Sailor Jupiter closed her eyes as they descended further down the dark abyss. For some strange reason, she felt that they were slowing down, so she opened her eyes.  
  
Sailor Jupiter couldn't believe what she was seeing. Somehow, a massive sphere of green light was surrounding the two of them, and was slowing down their descent. When they finally reached the bottom of the ravine, the green light faded away.  
  
Bewildered, Sailor Jupiter asked, "What the heck was that?"  
  
"Well," Sage started, "it's like a shield that can be extended out through my armor."  
  
"You mean that strange light came from your armor?" Sailor Jupiter asked him.  
  
Before he could answer, they both noticed a green glow coming from a nearby tunnel. They both went into the tunnel and followed it to the very end. The tunnel emptied into a tremendous underground cavern, with the ceiling and floor covered with towering stalactites and protruding stalagmites.  
  
"Look, over there!" Sailor Jupiter cried.  
  
Sage looked in the direction she was pointing and saw it: a large green orb resting on top of a massive stalagmite in the center of the cavern, which was glowing with a mysterious green light.  
  
"Stay here," Sage instructed Sailor Jupiter as he made his way to the stone pillar. When he reached the pillar, Sage started to climb up cautiously toward the glowing Spirit Stone. After a couple of minutes, he finally made it to the top. He reached for the glowing Spirit Stone when, suddenly, he felt the pillar shaking underneath his body. He tried to hold on, but the tremors intensified and he lost his grip.  
  
Sailor Jupiter watched in shock when the massive pillar that Sage was on started to shake violently. "Oh, no," she told herself, "he's gonna fall!"  
  
The whole cavern was also starting to shake as Sailor Jupiter made her way toward Sage as quickly as she could. "Are you all right, Sage?" she asked as she helped Sage up.  
  
"I'm fine," he assured her, "but we better get out of here quick! This place is gonna collapse!"  
  
They both ran back toward the tunnel they originally came through. Suddenly, Sage noticed some massive stalactites near the entrance starting to break loose.  
  
"Sailor Jupiter! Get out of the way!" he shouted. By the time Sailor Jupiter stopped, she was right underneath the stalactites.  
  
Sage had to act quickly before the jagged rocks crushed Sailor Jupiter. He ran as fast as he could, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her out of the way just in time. The stalactites gave way and crashed to the ground, spraying debris and dust everywhere. When the cloud of dust disappeared, Sage and Sailor Jupiter got up and looked at the tunnel, which was now blocked off by the fallen rock.  
  
"No!" Sage exclaimed angrily. He punched a nearby stalagmite out of frustration, leaving a noticeable hole in the rock.  
  
"Don't worry, Sage," Sailor Jupiter assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find another way out, I'm sure of it." Sage turned around and looked at his current partner.  
  
"You're probably right," he agreed. "There has to be another way out of here."  
  
Before they could start searching for another exit, a voice echoed, "You two aren't going anywhere!" Sage and Sailor Jupiter were on their guard.  
  
"Why don't you show yourself, you Dark Moon trash?" Sailor Jupiter yelled boldly.  
  
"'Why don't you show yourself, you Dark Moon trash?' " No response followed Sailor Jupiter's question.  
  
"What's wrong? Are you afraid to face us?" Sage shouted.  
  
"'What's wrong? Are you afraid to face us?' " There was still no response.  
  
"Come on, let's get out of here," Sage whispered as he and Sailor Jupiter carefully made their way through the twisting maze of looming stalagmites.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? I told you, you're not going anywhere!" the voice replied angrily.  
  
The massive pillar, where the Spirit Stone once rested, shook violently. Sage and Sailor Jupiter immediately dropped to the ground and covered their heads. They heard a powerful explosion, followed by silence.  
  
"Is it over?" Sailor Jupiter asked as they stood up.  
  
"I don't think so! Look!" Sage exclaimed, pointing at the stone pillar in the center of the cavern. The once massive stalagmite was reduced to half its original size, due to the explosion.  
  
Standing on top was a creature from the Dark Moon. She had glowing green eyes that sparkled with electricity, and all of her long neon green hair stood on end, as though she had been electrocuted. She wore a sleeveless green dress with a jaggedly torn skirt and dark green high-heeled boots.  
  
"Who are you?" Sage yelled to the creature, who was staring at them coldly.  
  
"I am Electra, servant to the Dark Moon Kingdom," she stated menacingly. Her green eyes focused on Sage for a moment, and then they shifted toward Sailor Jupiter. Electra raised her hand and a massive ball of electricity formed. With all her might, she threw the ball of electricity straight at the two heroes.  
  
"Duck!" Sailor Jupiter yelled. She and Sage jumped out of the way in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding Electra's attack. The enraged creature levitated off of the pillar and slowly floated around the cavern.  
  
"Looks like we're playing my favorite game: 'Seek and Destroy!' " Electra chuckled evilly as she searched the cavern for the Ronin Warrior of Light. She stopped in mid-air, hovering over a small cluster of stalagmites. She spotted Sage quickly moving from one stalagmite to the next one. Electra snickered a bit as another ball of electricity formed in her hand.  
  
"Game over for you, Ronin Warrior!"  
  
She was about to attack when suddenly, she heard "JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!" Electra turned around, but was flung into the roof by Sailor Jupiter's attack.  
  
"Sage, are you all right?" she asked him, who was getting up from behind the stalagmite.  
  
"I'm fine," Sage muttered. He looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling and said, "Looks like you took care of her, Sailor Jupiter."  
  
"That's what you think!" Electra cried out as she flew straight out of the hole, with anger burning in her eyes.  
  
"No way!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed.  
  
"You'll pay for that, Sailor brat!" she yelled furiously as a long bolt of lightning formed in her hand. Using it like a whip, Electra swung it at Sailor Jupiter. The electric whip struck the ground, causing a cloud of dust to surround the Sailor Scout.  
  
When the dust cloud settled, Sage saw Sailor Jupiter down on her knees. "Are you all right?" he asked as he ran to her side.  
  
"Don't worry. She missed me," she assured Sage. When he wasn't looking, Sailor Jupiter carefully examined her ankle, which was already starting to swell up.  
  
"You'll pay for that, Electra!" she heard Sage yell, which caused her to look up.  
  
"That's a bold claim, Ronin," Electra muttered as her electric whip morphed into a sword. "Let's see if you can carry that out!"  
  
As Electra flew straight at him, Sage held his own sword up to block the upcoming blow. He succeeded, but the force of Electra's impact rammed him against the cavern wall.  
  
As the fight raged on, Sailor Jupiter tried to stand up on her own. She winced in pain when she put some weight on her sore ankle. She leaned on a stalagmite for support as she took in a deep breath.  
  
"No time for this," Sailor Jupiter muttered to herself. "Sage is gonna need my help."  
  
"THUNDER BOLT CUT!" she heard Sage yell, causing her to look up. Electra was trying to push back the massive bolt of lightning, which was steadily pushing her toward the roof of the cavern.  
  
Suddenly, Electra broke through Sage's attack. She snickered evilly as the sword of lightning reappeared in her hand.  
  
"Face it, Ronin," she stated coldly. "You don't have the power to defeat me."  
  
Sailor Jupiter suddenly recalled what Rae mentioned last night: 'It took the combined attacks of both Ryo and me to destroy her. You'll have to expect the same thing with any other creatures that emerge from the remaining Celestial Stones.'  
  
"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Sage! We have to attack her together!" Sailor Jupiter yelled.  
  
Sage remembered what Ryo said the other night and realized that was the solution. "Get ready, Sailor Jupiter," he warned as he held his sword above his head. "Now! THUNDER BOLT CUT!"  
  
"JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!"  
  
The massive bolt of lightning from Sage's sword and the huge ball of lightning from Sailor Jupiter's hand skyrocketed straight for Electra. The two attacks both met their target and Electra let out a long eerie scream as the cavern filled with a bright light. Sage and Sailor Jupiter both shielded their eyes.  
  
When the light vanished, Sage opened his eyes and cautiously looked around. "She's definitely gone for good," he murmured. Looking around the cavern, his violet-gray eyes spotted a small opening with a pale gray light.  
  
"Another way out! Let's go, Sailor Jupiter!" Sage looked at the Sailor Scout, who was down on her knees again. He ran to her side and asked, "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"No, I'm just fine," Sailor Jupiter lied.  
  
Sage's glance moved from Sailor Jupiter's face down to her ankle. The swelling had increased, and it was starting to turn black and blue. "What happened to your ankle?" he asked calmly.  
  
"Remember when Electra struck at me with the lightning whip and I told you it missed me?" she reminded Sage. He slowly nodded yes. "Well, I lied."  
  
"Why?" Sage asked.  
  
"Well, you needed help fighting Electra, and it worked, didn't it?"  
  
Sage knew she was trying to cover up her true intentions, but didn't say anything as he helped her up. "Come on, let's get out of here," he whispered as he helped Sailor Jupiter to the faintly lit opening.  
  
Unknown to the both of them, Topaz was watching them from behind the once massive stalagmite. In his hand was the Spirit Stone. He snickered softly as he teleported out of the cavern...  
  
In the meantime, White Blaze led the remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts straight through the woods. They soon reached a clearing, where the mouth of an enormous cave loomed.  
  
"That's it! The Cave of the Pinnacles," Ryo announced. "Good job, White Blaze," he congratulated his pet tiger as he patted him on the head.  
  
Serena curiously approached the mouth of the cave. "Wow! It's really dark in there!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the cavern's walls.  
  
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, Serena noticed two figures slowly approaching. She screamed loudly, ran away from the cave's entrance, and cowered behind Amy.  
  
"Serena, what's wrong?" Rowen asked while Kento was trying to hold in his laughter.  
  
"I-I-I saw something," Serena stuttered.  
  
"Serena! Is that you?" a familiar voice echoed from the cave.  
  
"Lita?" Serena yelled as she walked out from behind Amy.  
  
"Who were you expecting, meatball head? Dracula?" Rae asked sarcastically.  
  
"I told you not to call me that, Rae!" Serena yelled.  
  
"Stop arguing, you two," Amy interrupted. Just then, Sage and Sailor Jupiter left the cave and joined their friends.  
  
"Hey, guys," Sage greeted Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen.  
  
"Hey, Sage," Ryo replied. "What happened in there?"  
  
"Well, we found the Spirit Stone, this creature came out of the stone, and we destroyed it together," Sage summed up.  
  
Mina looked at Sailor Jupiter and gasped when she saw her ankle. "Lita, what happened?" she asked, pointing at her swollen ankle.  
  
"Oh, that? It's just a scratch, Mina," Sailor Jupiter told her. "Nothing to worry about." Suddenly, a shock of pain caused her to yell out loud.  
  
"Lita!" the four girls cried.  
  
"Maybe I should carry you back to Mia's," Sage suggested.  
  
"No way! As long as I got one good foot, I'm gonna..." Another burst of pain from her ankle caused her to slump down to her knees.  
  
"Lita! Let me help you! Walking will only make your injury worse than it already is," Sage told her sternly.  
  
"Fine," she reluctantly agreed. Sage gently scooped up Sailor Jupiter in his arms, being careful not to touch her ankle.  
  
"Come on, everyone. Let's head back to Mia's," he announced as he entered the woods, followed by their eight friends...TO BE CONTINUED


	5. A Day at the Beach

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part Four-A Day at the Beach  
  
Another day has passed since the defeat of Electra. It was about one o'clock in the afternoon, and Lita was lying on the bed in the girls' room. Her ankle was wrapped in a cloth bandage, with a cold compress lying on top of it. The door opened slowly and Lita looked up to see Amy. She was carrying a tray with a sandwich, a small bowl of soup, and a glass of orange juice.  
  
"Hey, Amy," Lita greeted as she carefully sat up on the bed.  
  
"Here, Lita," Amy replied as she carefully set the tray on a small foldable table next to the bed. "Cye made you some lunch."  
  
"Tell him I said 'thanks,' okay?" Lita asked.  
  
"Sure, no problem," Amy replied.  
  
Amy removed the compress and carefully unwrapped the bandage. As she examined Lita's ankle, she asked, "How is it?"  
  
"Well, the swelling has decreased drastically," Amy muttered. She looked up at Lita and smiled. "Don't worry, Lita. You should be completely healed in a couple of days." She rewrapped Lita's ankle with the bandage.  
  
"A couple of days?" Lita complained. "Why not now? Just give me a crutch or something. I hate lying around doing nothing!"  
  
"Well, I suppose I could ask Mia if she has a crutch lying around," Amy muttered aloud. "I'll be right back."  
  
Before she left the bedroom, Lita yelled, "Wait! Also tell Rini that I'm sorry about her pocket tracer."  
  
"That wasn't your fault, Lita, but I'll give her the message," Amy assured her as she left the room.  
  
As she climbed down the stairs, Amy called out, "Mia! Could I speak with you for a moment?"  
  
"She's not here," she heard Sage reply. "Mia went into town to pick up some things." Amy entered the living room and saw Sage sitting on the couch. "How's Lita doing?" he asked with concern in his voice.  
  
"She's doing just fine," Amy assured him. "Only problem is she's been complaining a lot lately."  
  
"Complaining? About what?" Sage asked as he got up from the couch.  
  
"Lita wants to get up and walk around," Amy replied. "She doesn't like to lay around and do nothing, unlike Serena. That's part of the reason why I was looking for Mia."  
  
"Maybe I can help you out, Amy. What do you need?" Sage asked.  
  
"Do you know where Mia would keep a crutch? That is, if she had one," Amy asked.  
  
Sage stood there in silent thought for a few moments. He snapped his fingers as an idea came to his head.  
  
"The basement!" Sage exclaimed. "Mia keeps a lot of junk down there, and if she has a crutch, it would be in there." Sage walked around the staircase and opened a door on the side of the staircase.  
  
"Wait here. I'll be right back," he told Amy as he turned on a light switch and walked down a flight of old wooden stairs. Amy heard a series of small crashes before she heard Sage yell, "I found one!" Sage returned to the basement door and handed Amy an antique wooden crutch. "Will this work?" he asked.  
  
"Indeed, it will. Thanks, Sage," Amy replied. She noticed that Sage had a strange expression on his face, one of depression and guilt. "Is there something wrong, Sage?" she asked.  
  
"It's my fault," Sage grumbled.  
  
"What's your fault?" Amy asked curiously.  
  
"It's my fault that Lita got hurt." Sage returned to the living room and sat back down on the couch, with Amy following behind.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Sage. No one's to blame for Lita's injury, so stop blaming yourself."  
  
"Yeah, but why did Lita lie about it?" Sage asked, catching Amy by surprise.  
  
"She lied to you?"  
  
"She told me that Electra missed her, but the truth was she didn't miss." Sage buried his face in his hands.  
  
"Sage, listen to me," Amy started as she took a seat next to him. "Lita's the toughest girl I know. The truth is, she can be a bit of a bully at times. One thing Lita doesn't like is admitting that she needs help, or that she can't do something on her own." Sage lifted his head and looked at Amy.  
  
"That would explain why she lied about her ankle," he murmured, "and also why she refused to let me help her." Sage smiled a bit. "Thanks for the talk, Amy. That helped out a lot."  
  
"No problem, Sage," Amy said as she got up. "I'll bring this up to Lita," she explained, indicating the crutch, "and I'll be right back down, if you wish to talk some more." Amy headed back to the staircase and started to walk up the stairs. She stopped for a few moments to look out of the window.  
  
"What a beautiful day!" she told herself. "Perhaps I'll get one of my books and read outside later." She was about to continue up the stairs when something caught her eye. Cye was sitting against a large oak tree. In his hand was a sketchpad, and he was busy working on a drawing. Amy watched him for a few more moments before she continued walking upstairs...  
  
Meanwhile, Cye was busy working on a drawing in his sketchpad. He was so into his work that he didn't notice Amy approaching him, carrying a thick, heavy book in her arms.  
  
"Mind if I sit here?" Amy asked.  
  
Startled at first, Cye quickly closed his sketchpad and replied a bit nervously, "S-sure, Amy." She sat down in the cool shade of the massive oak. She placed the book in her lap and opened it up. "What are you reading?" Cye asked.  
  
"'Theories on Quantum Physics,' " Amy replied without looking up from the book.  
  
_Quantum Physics?_ Cye thought. Amy continued reading her book, so Cye carefully reopened his sketchpad and continued working on his drawing. A few moments of silence followed.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you working on?" Amy asked.  
  
"Just some sketches," Cye answered quickly.  
  
"Could I see them?" she asked.  
  
Cye hesitated for a moment. "Umm...sure," he finally agreed reluctantly. Cye handed the sketchpad to Amy. She opened it up and the first drawing was of Sailor Moon.  
  
"Wow! This is extraordinary work," Amy exclaimed.  
  
Cye blushed a bit from the comment. She turned the page, and the next drawing was of Sailor Mars.  
  
As Amy flipped the page over to a drawing of Sailor Jupiter, she murmured, "Amazing!" She looked up at Cye and smiled. "You're really skilled at this, Cye. When did you learn to draw like this?"  
  
"It just comes naturally to me," Cye admitted while Amy was admiring the sketch of Sailor Venus.  
  
Amy turned the page once again to reveal a drawing of herself as Sailor Mercury. "I'm curious. Why did you create these drawings of us?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I know that you don't plan on staying here for long," Cye explained. "You and the rest of the Sailor Scouts will be returning home after you're finished completing your mission, right?" Amy nodded her head yes. "I decided to create a bit of a memento, because I don't want to forget you girls. I hope there are no objections to this."  
  
"I don't think anyone would mind," Amy admitted as she handed the sketchpad back to Cye. "Some of them will actually be flattered that you chose to do this."  
  
Cye turned red in the face. "Why are you blushing, Cye?" Amy asked. "There's no need to be embarrassed."  
  
As the redness faded from his face, Cye decided to change the subject. "So, how's Lita doing?" he asked.  
  
"A lot better now," Amy admitted. "By the way, she wanted me to thank you for making her lunch."  
  
"It's no big deal," Cye replied.  
  
"Hey, guys!" they heard Serena yell. Cye and Amy stood up as Serena approached them, followed by Ryo, Rae, Rowen, and Rini on White Blaze, with her Luna Sphere hovering after her.  
  
"Hi, Serena," Amy greeted. "Where have you been all morning?"  
  
"Ryo took us to this old temple out in the woods," Rini explained as she got off of White Blaze. "It was really nice."  
  
"Where's Kento?" Cye asked.  
  
"He went with Mia to pick up some groceries," Rowen explained.  
  
"That figures," Cye muttered.  
  
"Rini, Lita wanted me to tell you something," Amy announced.  
  
"What?" Rini asked.  
  
"She wanted to apologize for what happened to your pocket tracer."  
  
Rini stood there silent for a moment, and then she smiled. "Lita shouldn't worry about that. I can always make another one."  
  
"You made that tracer, Rini?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Yup, I did," Rini admitted proudly.  
  
"How did you manage to create this tracer?" Rowen asked.  
  
"Just watch," Rini announced as the Luna Sphere landed in her hands. "LUNA SPHERE...KITTY MAGIC!" she cried out as she threw the Luna Sphere in the air. Instantly, a new tracer, identical to the first one, landed in her hand.  
  
Ryo, Cye, and Rowen were astonished beyond words as Rini started to type furiously on the pocket tracer. A few moments later, she announced, "Done!" Rini gasped slightly when she looked at the screen.  
  
"What's wrong, Rini?" Cye asked.  
  
"The tracer picked up another Celestial Stone," Rini muttered as she handed the tracer to Amy. As she looked over the small computer screen, Amy noticed the flashing light blue blip and the solid white blip.  
  
"This blue dot is the Celestial Stone of Water. Right, Rini?" The little girl nodded her head in approval. Amy pressed a button and a map instantly appeared on the screen, with the two blips still visible.  
  
"According to this map," Amy explained, "the Water Stone is located in a small bay approximately 250 miles southwest of Toyama."  
  
Cye looked over Amy's shoulder at the map. "Looks like that Water Stone is right outside Onaruto," he muttered. Amy looked at him.  
  
"You're familiar with this area?" she asked. Cye nodded his head yes. "We should get going, right away." Amy headed back to the house.  
  
"Why are you going in the house, Amy?" Serena asked.  
  
"I have to get my transformation wand, in case we run into any trouble." With that, Amy ran into the house. A few minutes later, she left the house, with her transformation wand in her hand. "Let's go, Cye," Amy announced as she and Cye headed down the driveway toward the main road...  
  
A couple of hours later, Amy and Cye were standing on the bridge overlooking the Great Whirlpools of Naruto. Amy was looking at the scanner while Cye gazed down at the whirlpools underneath them  
  
"According to this, the Water Stone should be right below us," Amy muttered out loud. She looked up at Cye, who, to her surprise, was standing on the other side of the guardrail. "Cye! What are you doing?" she exclaimed.  
  
"Remember how you asked me earlier if I was familiar with this area?" Cye asked. Amy slowly nodded her head. "Well, during the battle with Talpa and the Evil Dynasty, I've ended up in the whirlpools quite a few times," he explained.  
  
"You mean you've actually been inside the whirlpools?" Amy asked as she looked over the guardrail at the raging swirls of water. "How could you possibly survive such an ordeal, Cye?"  
  
"Because I was wearing this," Cye replied. Amy looked up at Cye and realized that he was wearing his sub-armor.  
  
"I should be back in a few minutes," he explained. "If you wish, you can wait for me on the beach over there." Cye pointed at the stretch of sand along the bank of Onaruto Bay.  
  
"All right," Amy agreed. "Be careful, Cye." She stepped away from the guardrail and started to head off of the bridge. Amy turned around for a minute and watched Cye as he dove off of the bridge into the cold water below...  
  
Unbeknownst to both Cye and Amy, Topaz had been watching them ever since they arrived in Onaruto. "Amethyst!" he called out, without even looking up from his crystal.  
  
A few moments later, Amethyst entered the room. "What is it, Topaz?" she asked wearily.  
  
"Sailor Mercury and Cye of Torrent have apparently discovered the location of the Celestial Stone of Water," Topaz reported.  
  
"We can't afford to lose another one," Amethyst muttered out loud. "What's the progress on the Celestial Stone of Water?" she asked.  
  
Topaz looked up from his crystal at a metal black box attached to the wall. There were five bars, each lit up. The first bar was completely red, the second one was completely green, and the third was nearly completely light blue. The remaining two bars were partially filled with orange and dark blue light.  
  
"Unfortunately, it's not fully charged yet, Amethyst," he replied.  
  
"If that's so, then create a diversion, brother," Amethyst remarked crudely as she left the room.  
  
"Yes, your majesty," Topaz muttered mockingly under his breath. He looked at the crystal, which showed Amy standing on the beach. "This will be perfect," he told himself. Topaz lifted a leather pouch, opened it, and pulled out a small handful of black sand. He sprinkled the sand over his crystal ball. "This will take care of Sailor Mercury and Cye of Torrent, for now," Topaz muttered. He chuckled evilly as he watched the image of Amy...  
  
Meanwhile, Amy was indeed standing on the beach, waiting for Cye to emerge from the whirlpools with the Water Stone. She was too busy staring out at the water that she didn't notice the grains of sparkling black sand raining from the sky. The grains landed on the beach and six small mounds rose out of the sand. The mounds slowly took on humanoid shapes, but Amy never noticed this.  
  
"What could be taking Cye so long?" she asked herself.  
  
Suddenly, Amy heard a strange noise behind her. She turned around and gasped when she saw the sand creatures heading towards her.  
  
"This must be Amethyst and Topaz's doing," Amy muttered thoughtfully as she brought out her transformation wand. "Mercury Star--Ahh!" One of the sand creatures had knocked the wand out of Amy's hand before she could finish. The wand flew in the air for a few moments and landed on the beach a couple of yards away. Amy ran toward her wand, but she was blocked off by two of the sand creatures.  
  
_Where are you, Cye? I need your help,_ Amy thought as the six creatures surrounded her...  
  
Meanwhile, Cye was swimming deeper into the dark, cold waters of Onaruto Bay. He stopped for a few moments as he watched an orca whale swim past him. Just then, Cye spotted a small dot of light blue light shimmering from the bottom of one of the whirlpools.  
  
_Could that be it?_ he asked himself as he continued his descent. As Cye entered the whirlpool, his suspicions were confirmed. Resting on the muddy bottom of the bay was indeed a large light blue orb, which was still glowing with a mysterious light blue light.  
  
_That's it! The Water Stone!_ Cye thought triumphantly. He landed on the bottom and picked up the glass orb. He noticed that the light was continually glowing brightly, then fading away, then glowing again in a steady pattern.  
  
_Why would it be doing this?_ Cye asked himself as he carefully looked over the orb in his hands. All of a sudden, Cye felt a sharp pain in his head, causing him to drop the Water Stone. As the orb slowly rolled away, Cye dropped to his knees from the head-splitting pain.  
  
It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like minutes for Cye before the excruciating pain finally stopped. He remembered that the last time he had a headache like this, one of his friends was in danger.  
  
_Oh, no! Amy! She must be in trouble,_ Cye thought. He quickly looked around for the Water Stone, but it was nowhere in sight. _I'll have to worry 'bout that later,_ he told himself as he headed back to the surface as fast as he could...  
  
Meanwhile, back on the beach, Amy was fighting off the sand creatures as best as she could. "When the opportunity arrives, I should thank Rae for those self-defense lessons," she reminded herself as she ducked out of the way of one creature's swinging arm. Unfortunately, Amy wasn't able to avoid the second one. She got knocked down on the sandy beach. As she struggled to sit up, Amy gasped when she saw one of the sand creatures ready to attack her.  
  
To Amy's surprise, Cye appeared out of nowhere and kicked the creature to the ground. "Are you all right, Amy?" he asked as he helped her up.  
  
"I'm fine," Amy managed to get out.  
  
"If you were in trouble, why didn't you transform to Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked.  
  
"I tried to, but one of those creatures knocked the wand out of my hand," Amy explained. Cye looked around the beach and saw Amy's transformation wand stuck in the sand a couple of yards away from them.  
  
"Don't worry, Amy. I'll get it."  
  
Without hesitating, Cye ran as fast as he could toward the wand. Two of the sand creatures tried to block his way, but Cye ran straight through them, splitting both of them in half.  
  
"Got it," he muttered triumphantly as he pulled the wand out of the sand. When Cye turned around, he was shocked to see that the two sand creatures that he split in half have multiplied into four sand creatures.  
  
"Swell! Now there's eight of 'em," he muttered nervously as the eight creatures approached him.  
  
"Amy, catch!" Cye shouted as he threw the transformation wand over the creatures' heads. Amy had to stoop down a bit, but she managed to catch the wand before it hit the sand. She noticed that the creatures were slowly heading towards her. Amy had to act fast.  
  
"Mercury Star Power!" she yelled, holding the wand in the air. Almost instantly, Amy was transformed into Sailor Mercury.  
  
"MERCURY ICE BUBBLES BLAST!" she shouted. A thick fog quickly blanketed the beach, freezing the sand creatures into ice sculptures. Cye was astonished as the frozen sand creatures suddenly crumbled into piles of slush and wet sand.  
  
"That was incredible!" Cye exclaimed.  
  
"Thanks," Sailor Mercury replied. "I've been meaning to ask you, how did you know I was in trouble, Cye?" she asked.  
  
"Intuition," Cye stated simply.  
  
"Anyway, did you get the Water Stone?" Sailor Mercury asked.  
  
"Well, I had it, but I dropped it and it rolled away," he reluctantly admitted. "Sorry."  
  
"It's okay, Cye. You tried your best," Sailor Mercury assured him.  
  
"But now, 'cause of me, that creature's gonna pop out of there any minute now..." Cye started to explain.  
  
Before he could finish, there was a sudden explosion out in the bay. Cye and Sailor Mercury gasped as a massive spray of water flew up in the air.  
  
"This could be it," Cye muttered. "Armor of Torrent! DAO SHIN!" He was instantly transformed into his full armor.  
  
"Don't think that armor of yours will save you and your friends," a female voice shouted from the column of water.  
  
Cye and Sailor Mercury looked out at the bay. From the spray of water emerged a creature from the Dark Moon. Her long, wet, stringy light blue hair hung around her pale face like fine seaweed. Her wet, sleeveless light blue dress clung to her body. Her ice blue eyes stared coldly at the Ronin Warrior and Sailor Scout standing on the beach. A small evil smile appeared on her face.  
  
"That must be her!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed. "It's the creature from the Water Stone!"  
  
"Watch your tongue, girl," the creature replied coldly, her icy stare fixed on Sailor Mercury. She raised her arm above her head and a menacing fifteen- foot-tall wave rose right in front of Cye and Sailor Mercury. "The name is Seadra," the creature remarked as she quickly brought her arm down. Sailor Mercury and Cye gasped as the towering tidal wave began to bear down on them.  
  
"Sailor Mercury, hold your breath," Cye shouted.  
  
"What for?" Sailor Mercury asked.  
  
"Just do it!" Cye muttered loudly between clenched teeth. Sailor Mercury quickly drew in a deep breath.  
  
As the wall of water crashed down on the two heroes, Seadra looked on with a small smirk on her face. "No one could have survived that, not even a Ronin Warrior and Sailor Scout," she told herself. Seadra was about to leave Onaruto Bay when she turned around and gasped.  
  
"Impossible!" she exclaimed. Standing on the beach was Cye and Sailor Mercury, who were surrounded by a protective shield of light blue light.  
  
"Got a plan, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked. "This shield isn't gonna last for much longer."  
  
"Remember, Ryo and Sailor Mars defeated Flarea by combining their attacks, and Sage and Sailor Jupiter defeated Electra in the same fashion," Sailor Mercury reminded him. "By combining our attacks, we should be successful in defeating Seadra."  
  
"Right, what you said," Cye agreed. "Ready?" he asked as he readied his trident. Sailor Mercury nodded her head.  
  
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"  
  
"MERCURY ICE BUBBLES BLAST!"  
  
The combined attacks struck Seadra simultaneously, causing her to plummet into the cold ocean water below.  
  
"Looks like we got her," Cye remarked.  
  
"Yeah, looks like it," Sailor Mercury muttered uncertainly, her eyes concentrating on the very spot where Seadra fell.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Cye asked.  
  
"I just have an uneasy feeling about this, Cye," Sailor Mercury explained. The two heroes suddenly heard a noise. They looked out toward the bay and gasped. Sailor Mercury's suspicions were confirmed when Seadra flew straight out of the water in the blink of an eye.  
  
"Foolish ones! I cannot be defeated so easily!" Seadra shouted infuriately. She lifted up both arms and a massive thirty-foot-tall wave rose out of the water, heading straight for Cye and Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Run!" Cye shouted. He and Sailor Mercury jumped out of the way in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding Seadra's attack. Sailor Mercury landed face- first in the sand.  
  
As she slowly stood up, she heard Cye yell, "Sailor Mercury! Look out!" She turned around and gasped as another menacing wave prepared to crash right on top of her.  
  
_I have to think of something fast!_ Sailor Mercury thought to herself. An idea quickly came to her, just as the wave was about to bear down on her.  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" Sailor Mercury shouted. Cye was astonished beyond words as the Sailor Scout's attack instantly froze the entire tidal wave into a sheet of solid ice.  
  
"Incredible!" he muttered to himself. As Cye joined Sailor Mercury, he asked, "How come you didn't use that attack before? It's obviously more powerful then that 'Mercury Ice Bubbles' attack you used earlier."  
  
"Guess I should have thought of that earlier, huh?" Sailor Mercury admitted.  
  
"Better late than never," Cye remarked. The two heroes looked up and saw Seadra heading towards them. "Ready to give it another shot, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked as he once again readied his trident.  
  
"I'm ready," Sailor Mercury replied. "Just hold on till she gets closer." They stood by, poised to attack, as Seadra steadily approached them.  
  
"Steady," Sailor Mercury warned Cye. "Now! SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" she shouted.  
  
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye shouted.  
  
This time around, the two combined attacks struck Seadra head-on. She let out a shrill scream as her body turned into solid ice. Cye and Sailor Mercury watched as Seadra's frozen body plummeted like a rock into the bay. The two heroes held their breath, uncertain of whether or not they have succeeded. Sailor Mercury touched her earring, causing her visor to appear. She slowly turned her head back and forth, carefully scanning the bay for any sign of Seadra.  
  
"What's the verdict?" Cye asked as Sailor Mercury touched her earring again, causing the visor to disappear.  
  
"As far as I can tell, Seadra is no longer in Onaruto Bay," Sailor Mercury explained. "Therefore, we can safely conclude that the proper combinations of our attacks have led to her demise."  
  
"So, to put it simply, Seadra's gone?" Cye asked.  
  
"Yes, Cye. She's gone," Sailor Mercury confirmed.  
  
"Hey, Cye! Amy!" a familiar voice shouted.  
  
The two turned around and saw Kento, in his orange and white sub-armor, running towards them. As he stopped to catch his breath, Kento remarked, "Looks like I missed the party!"  
  
"What are you doing here, Kento?" Cye asked.  
  
"Mia and I were going across the bridge and we saw what was going on down here," Kento explained. "I was gonna help you out, but it looks like you two took care of everything by yourselves."  
  
"You bet we did," Cye remarked as the three of them walked down the beach toward the red jeep. "Did you have any doubts in us?"  
  
"Me? No way!" Kento exclaimed, grabbing his friend in a fake choker hold. "Why would I doubt my best friend? Huh! Huh!"  
  
"Come on, Kento! Knock it off!" Cye shouted as he managed to scramble out of Kento's grip. Sailor Mercury laughed over Cye and Kento's antics as they continued down the beach.  
  
Unknown to the three heroes, there was something unusual happening out in Onaruto Bay. A small patch of water in between the whirlpools was bubbling. Suddenly, a small spurt of water spitted out the Water Stone into the air. The stone was caught by Topaz, who was waiting for it to come out. He looked over at Kento, Cye, and Sailor Mercury walking on the beach in the distance and a small evil smile spread on his face.  
  
"Enjoy your victory while you can," he muttered. "You have no idea what's in store for you." Topaz chuckled sinisterly as he vanished, bringing the Water Stone with him...TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part Five-Between a Rock and a Hard Place  
  
Another day has passed since Cye and Sailor Mercury defeated Seadra. It was early in the afternoon, and Mina was lying on the couch, reading a magazine she brought with her. She was reading a romantic short story when a dark shadow covered her magazine and a familiar muffled voice asked, "What are you reading?"  
  
Mina turned around and saw Serena, who was obviously talking with her mouth full. "Just one of those trashy love stories, Serena."  
  
"Mm- hmm," Serena nodded, with her mouth still full.  
  
"What are you eating?" Mina asked.  
  
Serena swallowed before replying, "Lita made some of her chocolate chip muffins!" Mina noticed a half-eaten muffin in Serena's hand. "You want one?" she asked.  
  
"No thanks, Serena," Mina replied. "I'm not hungry."  
  
"Oh, goody! More for me!" Serena exclaimed as she took another bite out of her muffin.  
  
"You'll probably have to save some for the guys," Mina reminded Serena as she continued reading her magazine. Serena whimpered loudly when Mina reminded her about the guys. Just then, the front door opened.  
  
"I smell chocolate chip muffins!" Kento announced loudly as he entered the living room, followed by Cye, Ryo, and Sage.  
  
"Where have you guys been?" Mina asked curiously as she closed her magazine.  
  
"We've been practicing some of our moves," Ryo explained as he took a seat next to Mina on the couch. "Where's Mia?"  
  
"She had to take Rowen to the library, and to get some groceries, too," Serena told him before she finished off her muffin.  
  
"That's it! I can't stand it anymore!" Kento exclaimed as he headed for the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, no fair!" Serena whined as she ran after him.  
  
"Want me to get some for us before our friend, the Bottomless Pit, eats them all?" Cye asked sarcastically as he headed toward the kitchen door.  
  
"No need to do that, Cye," he heard Lita announce. Cye quickly opened the kitchen door for Lita. She quickly hobbled into the living room, using the crutch that Sage found for her yesterday as support.  
  
"Thanks, Cye," Lita told him as he closed the door for her. She was carrying a plate with seven chocolate chip muffins in her free hand. Lita put the plate down on the coffee table in front of the couch. "Go ahead and help yourselves, guys," Lita insisted.  
  
"Thanks, Lita," Ryo replied as he, Cye, and Sage each grabbed a muffin from the plate. Ryo and Mina both moved over so Lita could sit down on the couch.  
  
"How's you ankle doing?" Sage asked curiously.  
  
"Much better now," Lita admitted. "I don't think I'm gonna need this crutch anymore."  
  
Just then, White Blaze entered the living room, with Rini riding on his back. "Hi!" she greeted as she slid off of White Blaze's back.  
  
"Hey, Rini," Mina greeted. "Did you have fun with White Blaze?"  
  
"Uh-huh," Rini admitted as she nodded her head. Her big bright red eyes eyed the plate of muffins on the table. "Can I have one, please?" she asked.  
  
"Of course you can have one, Rini," Lita admitted. The pink pig-tailed girl smiled as she grabbed one of the muffins with her small hands and took a bite out of it.  
  
Just then, the front door opened, and Rowen and Mia entered the living room. They were each carrying two paper bags full of groceries.  
  
"Hey, everyone! We're back," Rowen announced.  
  
"Hey, Rowen. Hey, Mia," Sage greeted.  
  
"Here, Mia. I'll get those for you," Ryo offered as he stood up and took the bags from Mia.  
  
"Thanks, Ryo," she admitted as she took a seat on the couch where Ryo was sitting earlier.  
  
As Ryo and Rowen headed to the kitchen door, Cye warned jokingly, "Be extremely careful, Rowen. Kento's still in there." Rowen laughed a bit as he and Ryo entered the kitchen.  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud beeping noise. "What was that?" Mia asked.  
  
"It's my pocket tracer," Rini explained as she pulled the tracer out of her pocket and looked at the screen. "It picked up the Celestial Stone of Earth!"  
  
"Could I see that, Rini?" Mina asked. Rini nodded as she walked over to the couch and held up the tracer, so Mina could see. On the screen was a solid white blip and a blinking orange blip, which were quite a distance away from each other.  
  
"How can you bring up a map on this thing?" Mina asked. Rini pressed a button next to the screen and handed the tracer to Mina. Now, there was a small map of Japan on the screen, with the white blip over Toyama and the orange blip further down the island.  
  
"Hey, Mia, do you recognize this place?" Mina asked, handing the tracer to Mia.  
  
She looked at the screen and replied, "It looks like that Celestial Stone you mentioned is located at Mt. Dojo National Park."  
  
"Hey, Sage? Isn't that the same place where you and Mia found Kento?" Cye asked.  
  
"It sure is," Sage muttered out loud.  
  
"We better get going," Mina announced as she got up from the couch.  
  
"Hold on a minute, Mina," Mia interrupted as she stood up. "Did you bring a coat with you?"  
  
"No, I didn't," Mina admitted, shaking her head.  
  
"Well, you can borrow mine," Mia told her as they started to head upstairs. "It can get pretty cold up at Mt. Dojo."  
  
As the two girls headed upstairs, Sage shouted, "I'll take them to Mt. Dojo, Mia!"  
  
"Thanks, Sage," Mia shouted back.  
  
"Hey, Kento!" Cye shouted. "We just picked up that Celestial Stone of Earth!"  
  
"All right!" Kento exclaimed as he entered the living room, followed by Ryo, Rowen, and Serena. "Let's go kick some Dark Moon butt!"  
  
"Hold on a minute, Kento," Sage interrupted. "We have to wait for Mina."  
  
"Aww, man!" Kento complained as he plopped down on the couch.  
  
"Umm...Sage?" Lita started to ask as she stood up. "Would it be all right if I come with you?"  
  
"I don't know..." Sage muttered out loud.  
  
"Come on, Sage!" Lita complained. "I just want to come for the ride. I've been holed up in this house for a few days, and I could use the fresh air."  
  
"Well, all right," Sage finally agreed.  
  
"Okay, guys, I'm ready," Mina announced as she came downstairs, followed by Mia. She was wearing Mia's yellow snow boots and orange snow pants. Mina was starting to put Mia's orange winter coat on over her yellow sweater when she reached the living room.  
  
"Finally! Let's go!" Kento retorted as he stood up and headed for the front door.  
  
As Kento left the house, Mina asked, "Not to offend Kento or anything, but what's with him?"  
  
"Nothing, Mina," Cye confessed. "He's just itching for a battle, that's all. Besides food, fighting is something Kento lives for."  
  
"Sounds like someone I know," Mina muttered under her breath, so Lita wouldn't overhear.  
  
"Well, Kento's obviously ready to go, so we should get going, too," Sage admitted. Mia handed him the keys to the jeep before he left the house, followed by Mina and Lita...  
  
"Oh, wow! It sure is beautiful up here!" Mina commented as she looked out of the window at the snow-covered mountains.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," she heard Kento grumble out loud, who was wearing his orange and white sub-armor. He leaned forward to the space in between the two front seats, where Sage and Lita were sitting. "Are we there yet, Sage?" he asked.  
  
"Calm down, Kento. We're almost there," Sage told him. Kento groaned loudly as he sat back down next to Mina.  
  
"What is with you, Kento?" Mina asked. "Do you like to fight or something?"  
  
"Hey! I happen to be the strongest Ronin Warrior there is!" Kento boasted. "My armor is of the Hardrock!"  
  
"Did you say 'Hardrock' or 'Hard-Head?' "Mina muttered out loud. This comment caught Kento by surprise.  
  
"Just what do you mean, Mina?" he asked angrily.  
  
"Well, Kento of Hard-Head seems to fit you better than Kento of Hardrock!" Mina retorted.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't talk, Mina," Kento retorted. "What makes you think you're a warrior? You're nothing but a life-size Barbie doll!"  
  
"Humph!" Mina retorted angrily as she crossed her arms and turned away from Kento.  
  
"Stop it, you two!" Sage interrupted.  
  
"You should be concentrating on what's more important: finding that Earth Stone," Lita added.  
  
"Whether you like it or not, you two are gonna have to work together," Sage pointed out as he made a left turn in the road.  
  
"What? No way!" Kento and Mina complained simultaneously. They looked at each other for a moment, then quickly turned away from each other in disgust.  
  
"There's no way I'm working with her!" Kento retorted.  
  
"At least we agree on one thing, Kento. This is definitely not going to work!" Mina retorted.  
  
"Knock it off, guys! We're here," Sage announced as he pulled the jeep over to the side of the road and put it in park. The two Ronin Warriors and the two Sailor Scouts climbed out of the red jeep and looked at the cluster of mountains spread out before them.  
  
"Whoa! Looks like you guys have your work cut out for you," Lita muttered out loud.  
  
"Don't worry, Lita. Rini's pocket tracer will lead us to the Earth Stone, no problem," Mina told her as she took the tracer out of her coat pocket and turned it on.  
  
As Mina studied the map on the computer screen, Kento whispered loudly, "Do I seriously have to work with her, Sage?"  
  
"For the last time, Kento, yes," Sage replied wearily. "You may be the strongest out of us Ronin Warriors, but don't forget, you're dealing with something from the future, something much more dangerous and stronger than you claim you are. You're gonna need Mina's help."  
  
"Come on, Sage!" Kento pleaded. "Can't you just take her back to Mia's? I can handle it by myself."  
  
"Cool your jets, Kento," Sage retorted. "Just don't do anything you'll end up regretting."  
  
"Ready to go, Sage?" Lita asked, who was back in the front passenger seat of Mia's jeep.  
  
"You bet," Sage replied as he got back in the driver's seat.  
  
As he started the engine, Lita shouted, "Good luck, Mina!"  
  
"Thanks, Lita! I'll keep in touch!" Mina shouted as the jeep pulled away from the entrance of Mt. Dojo National Park.  
  
"Are you ready or what?" she heard Kento ask rudely.  
  
Mina took a deep breath to calm herself before replying, "Yes, I am, Kento."  
  
"So...which way?" Kento asked impatiently.  
  
Mina looked down at the tracer for a moment. "This way," she replied as she walked forward, followed by Kento.  
  
_Great! Now I'm stuck with her!_ Kento thought.  
  
_Great! Now I'm stuck with him!_ Mina thought.  
  
"Hey! Why did you stop?" Kento asked. Mina was looking up at a high, steep cliff right in front of them.  
  
"That's a long way up," she remarked. "We're gonna have to find a way around it."  
  
"Looks like I'll meet you at the top," Kento remarked as he bent down and jumped high into the air. He flew halfway up the cliff and used his hands to grab the wall of the cliff. Using his own physical strength and the strength of his sub-armor, Kento made it to the top of the cliff.  
  
"Hey! What about me?" Mina yelled up to him.  
  
Kento looked down at her and chuckled. "What about you?" he retorted as he started to walk away.  
  
"Where do you think you're going, Kento?" Mina asked. "You need me to find that Celestial Stone of Earth!"  
  
Kento looked back down at her and replied, "I can find that stone without your help. Besides, I don't need any help from a girl!" Mina was shocked to hear those words come out of Kento's mouth. "You have a choice, Mina: either wait for me to come back, or if you hurry, you can probably catch a ride from Sage and Lita!" With that, Kento walked away from the cliff, with no intentions on coming back.  
  
"Oh, no, you don't, Kento!" Mina muttered angrily as she walked toward a steep path on the side of the cliff.  
  
_I'm not leaving here until I find that Earth Stone, and there's no way I'm waiting for you to come back for me!_ she thought to herself. With determination burning in her bright blue eyes, Mina hiked up the steep trail as fast as she dared...  
  
Meanwhile, unknown to Kento and Mina, Topaz has been watching their entire argument through his crystal ball. "Hmm, how quaint," he muttered sarcastically to himself. "The two warriors are having a little quarrel. Perhaps I can use this to my advantage."  
  
"What's going on, Topaz?" He looked up from his crystal ball at Amethyst, who had just entered the room.  
  
"It's Kento of Hardrock and Sailor Venus," Topaz explained.  
  
"Don't tell me. They're after the Celestial Stone of Earth," Amethyst muttered out loud.  
  
"Afraid so, sister," Topaz admitted.  
  
"May I remind you, brother, that there are only two Celestial Stones left that are not fully charged," Amethyst reminded Topaz. "If Kento of Hardrock and Sailor Venus find the Celestial Stone of Earth, we'll only have one left."  
  
"Perhaps that won't happen," Topaz revealed.  
  
"And why not?" Amethyst asked.  
  
"From what I've seen, it appears that Kento of Hardrock and Sailor Venus have gotten into an argument," Topaz explained. "Because of this fight, they have gone their separate ways to find the Celestial Stone of Earth. Neither of them will be able to destroy the creature from the Earth Stone on their own. Thanks to their little dispute, Kento of Hardrock and Sailor Venus refuse to work together."  
  
"Still, there's a slight chance they may be able to pull this off," Amethyst muttered thoughtfully. "It's hard to tell with those do-gooders."  
  
"Fortunately, I have a plan to make certain that they don't," Topaz announced as he reached down to the floor and picked up a leather pouch.  
  
"Isn't that the same sand you used for creating those sand creatures?" Amethyst asked.  
  
"No, this is different," Topaz explained as he took out a handful of blue sand from the pouch and showed it to her. "This blue sand has a different effect than the black sand I used before. The black sand can make inanimate objects come to life, whereas the blue sand can help control living creatures."  
  
"What do you plan on using that blue sand on?" Amethyst asked curiously as Topaz searched for something on his crystal ball.  
  
"Just take a look for yourself, Amethyst," Topaz announced. Amethyst looked into her brother's crystal ball and saw the pack of wild wolves roaming around in a forest.  
  
"Excellent choice, Topaz," she admitted as she stepped back. Topaz sprinkled some of the blue sand over his crystal ball and watched the wolves as the blue sand rained on them. As soon as the sand made contact with the wolves, their eyes glowed an unnatural fiery red.  
  
"They are now under our control," Topaz announced. "Those wolves now have only one objective: destroy Kento of Hardrock and Sailor Venus on sight!" He and Amethyst chuckled sinisterly as the leader of the pack let out a long howl and lead the other wolves toward the mountains...  
  
Meanwhile, back at Mia's house, Serena, Rae, Amy, Lita, Rini, Luna, and Artemis were in the living room, waiting patiently for their friend to contact them.  
  
"I don't get it," Lita muttered out loud. "Mina promised me that she would keep in touch with us."  
  
"Perhaps she's too occupied at the moment to contact us," Amy suggested.  
  
"That could be it, Lita," Rini admitted. "Don't worry. She'll call us when she gets the chance."  
  
At that moment, a beeping sound came from Serena. "Hey! That's probably Mina now!" she exclaimed as she took out her pocket communicator from her pocket and turned it on. The other girls and the two cats looked over Serena's shoulders as Mina's image appeared on the mini-screen.  
  
"Hey, Mina!" Serena greeted.  
  
"Hi, guys!" Mina greeted cheerfully.  
  
"Mina, have you and Kento located the Celestial Stone of Earth yet?" Artemis asked.  
  
"Not yet, Artemis," Mina admitted. "I'm getting pretty close to it, though."  
  
"Mina, where is Kento?" Luna asked.  
  
"You're not gonna believe this, but Kento ditched me!" Mina announced. The five girls and two cats gasped when they heard this news.  
  
"Why would he do something like that?" Amy asked.  
  
"Kento is so stubborn," Mina muttered angrily. "He said that he could find the Earth Stone by himself, and that he didn't need any help from a girl! He's such a jerk!"  
  
"Who's a jerk?" Sage asked as he, Ryo, Cye, and Rowen entered the living room.  
  
"Apparently, Kento is, according to Mina," Amy replied.  
  
"And why is that?" Cye asked. "Mina just told us that Kento ditched her at Mt. Dojo," Rae replied. The four boys gasped when they heard this news.  
  
"What?" Sage replied. "I warned him before we left not to do anything he'll regret."  
  
"I don't get why Kento would abandon Mina at a time like this," Cye admitted.  
  
"Did something happen that we should know about, Sage?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Well, Kento and Mina got into a little fight on the way to Mt. Dojo," Sage admitted. "I didn't think he would do something like this."  
  
"Well, he did, Sage," Mina replied over Serena's communicator.  
  
"Could I see that for a minute, Serena?" Sage asked.  
  
"Sure, Sage," Serena replied as she handed Sage her communicator.  
  
"Listen carefully, Mina. Since you're on your own, there are some dangers that you should know about," Sage told Mina.  
  
"What kind of dangers?" Mina asked.  
  
"With the mountains so high up, there can be sudden snowstorms up in Mt. Dojo," Sage explained. "You also have to keep quiet, or you might cause an avalanche."  
  
"Okay," Mina muttered a bit nervously. "Anything else I should know about?"  
  
"Watch out for wild animals, especially wolves," Sage warned her.  
  
"Why wolves, Sage?" Amy asked. "They're normally passive animals that would rather retreat than fight."  
  
"Sounds like someone we all know," Rae muttered out loud.  
  
"Hey! I heard that!" Serena shouted.  
  
"Anyway, why would wolves attack a human?" Amy asked.  
  
"When Mia and I went up there to find Kento when he was in a suspended state after that first battle with Talpa, we were attacked by a pack of wild wolves," Sage explained. "These wolves in particular, they were being controlled by one of Talpa's Dark Warlords: Kale."  
  
"Oh, I see what you mean now," Amy admitted. "Good, because I don't!" Serena openly admitted.  
  
"Remember I told you about those sand creatures that attacked me on the beach yesterday while Cye was searching for the Water Stone?" Amy asked. Everyone nodded their heads in approval. "I'm positive that Topaz and Amethyst had something to do with that," Amy continued. "If they can create creatures out of inanimate objects, who knows what else they're capable of?"  
  
"Good point, Amy," Rowen admitted.  
  
"You guys!" Mina shouted through the communicator. Sage looked at the screen and gasped.  
  
"What's wrong, Sage?" Lita asked.  
  
"Mina's image is breaking up," Sage revealed as he handed the communicator back to Serena.  
  
"Mina, what's going on?" Serena asked.  
  
"Sage was right about those sudden snowstorms!" Mina shouted, with her image and voice starting to break up.  
  
"Just hang in there, Mina!" Rae shouted.  
  
"I'll try," Mina replied before the screen suddenly went blank.  
  
"Oh, no!" Serena wailed as she pressed some buttons on the communicator in hopes of getting Mina back.  
  
"Serena, that snowstorm probably caused too much interference for her communicator to handle," Amy told her. "Don't worry about it. She'll call us back as soon as the storm dies down."  
  
"Do you think Mina will be okay, Serena?" Rini asked worriedly.  
  
"Don't worry, Rini. Mina's a Sailor Scout. There's nothing she can't handle," Serena assured the little girl...  
  
"Hello? Serena? Amy? Rae? Lita?" Mina shouted into her wrist communicator. She groaned out of frustration when no one answered her. Mina looked up at the dark billowing clouds above her, which were blowing ice-cold blasts of wind and hundreds of snowflakes everywhere.  
  
"I bet that snowstorm is jamming my communicator," Mina muttered to herself as she stood up. She pulled up the jacket's collar to cover her neck better, then reached into her pocket and pulled out Rini's tracer.  
  
"Okay, let's see..." Mina muttered as she studied the screen. She noticed that the solid white blip was pretty close to the flashing orange blip. "The Earth Stone's very nearby," Mina muttered. "I'm almost there."  
  
Mina was about to continue walking when she barely noticed a pair of glowing red dots through the curtain of falling snow. "What was that?" she gasped. She took a few steps forward and noticed two more pairs of red dots. Mina looked around and realized there were about fifteen pairs of glowing red dots circling around her. She carefully watched the red dots that were surrounding her. Suddenly, Mina heard a deep growl from behind her. She turned around and gasped when she saw the large gray wolf standing a few yards away from her, staring at her with its glowing red eyes.  
  
Mina looked up and realized that she was surrounded by a pack of wild wolves. _It's just like what Sage was talking about,_ Mina thought, _only I'll bet that Topaz and Amethyst did this, and not that guy, Kale!_ Mina realized that the wolves were slowly creeping closer to her, trapping her within a circle of glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth and claws.  
  
"What am I going to do?" Mina asked herself. "I can't hurt these wolves! They're innocent creatures, only they're now under the Dark Moon's control. I never thought I'd say this, but I need Kento's help!"  
  
Mina screamed as one of the wolves leapt towards her, landing only a few feet away from her...  
  
Meanwhile, as Mina was trying to contact her friends again, Kento was trekking up the mountain through the sudden snowstorm. "Almost there," he muttered through clenched teeth as he got closer to the top. When Kento finally reached the top of the mountain, he stopped for a minute to catch his breath.  
  
"Made it," he gasped. Kento looked up at a massive round boulder that was split in half.  
  
"The Throne of the Gods, or at least what's left of it," Kento whispered. He approached the monument and looked in between the two halves.  
  
"Ha! I knew it!" he admitted proudly. Sitting in between the two halves of the once massive Throne of the Gods was a large orb, which was glowing with a mysterious orange light.  
  
"I knew I didn't need Mina's help," Kento told himself as he reached for the Earth Stone. Before he could grab it, though, Kento heard a loud feminine scream.  
  
"Mina?" he asked out of surprise as he looked up. Kento quickly walked over to the side of the mountain where he heard the scream and looked down. He gasped when he saw Mina, surrounded by a pack of wild wolves.  
  
"Aww, man! What did she get herself into?" Kento retorted as he started to run down the side of the mountain as fast as he could.  
  
As Kento rushed down the mountain, Mina had fallen to the ground on her back. The pack of wolves was now only a few feet away from her. Mina looked up and gasped when she saw the leader of the pack standing right in front of her. He was growling deeply and drool dripped from his exposed teeth. Suddenly, he leapt toward her and Mina screamed out of fright. To her surprise, Kento appeared out of nowhere and jump-kicked the wolf in the stomach. The wolf landed on the snow-covered ground and whimpered out of pain. The other wolves quickly gathered around their fallen leader, then they all looked up at Kento and Mina with anger burning in their glowing red eyes.  
  
"Nice going, Kento," Mina retorted.  
  
"Hey! What else was I supposed to do? That wolf was ready to rip you to shreds!" Kento reminded her. The two heroes looked up and noticed that the remaining wolves were steadily approaching them, growling deeply from their throats.  
  
"This oughta scare them off!" Kento muttered out loud.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Mina asked.  
  
"Just watch! Armor of Hardrock! DAO GI!" Kento shouted. He was instantly transformed into his full orange and white armor. The sight of Kento's transformation made the wolves step back a bit, but not by much.  
  
"You're not gonna fight them in that armor, are you?" Mina asked suspiciously.  
  
"No! I thought that maybe when I transformed, they would get scared and run off!" Kento revealed.  
  
"Well, your plan obviously didn't work!" Mina retorted. Suddenly, to Kento and Mina's surprise, the wolves whimpered out of fright and ran off, including their injured leader.  
  
"Ha! My plan did work!" Kento boasted. Mina was about to say something when she heard a loud rumbling noise from behind them. She turned around and gasped.  
  
"What's wrong, Mina?" Kento asked.  
  
"I don't think you were the reason those wolves ran off!" Mina screamed as she pointed at something behind him. Kento turned around and gasped when he saw the massive blanket of snow and ice heading towards them.  
  
"It's an avalanche!" Kento yelled.  
  
"No kidding!" Mina shouted.  
  
Kento knew he had to act quickly, otherwise he and Mina would be buried in the avalanche. He grabbed Mina by the waist and ran as fast as he could to the side of the mountain. As he ran, Kento noticed a wide crevasse that was barely visible in the thick blanket of snow. When he reached the crevasse, he jumped as far as he could and made it to the other side of the crevasse, just barely beating the avalanche. Kento quickly let go of Mina as tons of snow poured into the crevasse.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Kento," Mina admitted. "You saved my life."  
  
"Twice," Kento reminded her, holding up two fingers.  
  
"Look, all this fighting is getting us nowhere. Why don't we call it a truce?" Mina suggested.  
  
"Okay, truce," Kento agreed. "I'm sorry I called you a life-size Barbie doll."  
  
"And I'm sorry I called you Kento of Hard-Head," Mina apologized.  
  
"Oh, by the way, I found the Earth Stone, without your help," Kento added. "It's up there." He pointed at the top of the mountain he was originally on.  
  
"You don't think that maybe this avalanche was caused by the Earth Stone, do you?" Mina asked worriedly.  
  
"I hope not!" Kento muttered out loud.  
  
"Just in case, I better suit up," Mina remarked as she pulled out her transformation wand from her pocket. "Venus Star Power!"  
  
After she finished her transformation, Sailor Venus announced, "Let's go!"  
  
As they headed up the mountain, Kento asked, "Aren't you cold in that thing?" Sailor Venus looked down at her skimpy Sailor Scout uniform for a moment.  
  
"It's no big deal," she admitted. "When the other Scouts and I were up against Queen Beryl, we had to go to her base, which was all the way at the North Pole!"  
  
"Get outta here!" Kento exclaimed out of surprise.  
  
"It's true," Sailor Venus admitted.  
  
"You're a lot tougher than you look!" Kento admitted. "Sorry about ever doubting you, Sailor Venus."  
  
"Gee, thanks, Kento," Sailor Venus exclaimed with a small smile. Kento couldn't help but smile back at her, but his expression soon became grim as they reached the top of the mountain, where he had left the Earth Stone. The two warriors gasped when they saw a bright radiating orange glow coming from the split boulder.  
  
"Looks like you might be right about that Earth Stone causing that avalanche, Sailor Venus," Kento muttered out loud as he and Sailor Venus cautiously approached the Throne of the Gods.  
  
Suddenly the two heroes saw a pair of hands reach up from between the split boulder halves. The hands grabbed the sides of the split boulder and pushed them further apart with little effort. Soon after, the creature stepped out between the two severed halves of the Throne of the Gods. Her features were hard and chiseled, with her forehead bearing the symbol of the Dark Moon. Tight, short curls of orange hair framed her face. She was wearing an orange camouflage shirt, baggy brown cargo pants, and dark brown combat boots. The creature snickered evilly as she stared at Kento and Sailor Venus with her menacing orange eyes.  
  
"Who the heck are you?" Kento asked.  
  
"The name is Petrofina, you two pathetic excuses for warriors!" the creature announced boldly.  
  
"Pathetic?" Kento repeated angrily. "I'll show you who's pathetic, Petrofina!" Sailor Venus watched as Kento rapidly spun his naginata over his head. "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"  
  
The massive jagged slabs of rock rose from the ground and headed straight for the creature from the Earth Stone. Petrofina snickered as she raised her fist and punched with all her strength at the first jagged boulder, smashing it into pieces.  
  
"No way!" Kento exclaimed out of shock as Petrofina did the same with the other slabs of rock. "Is that all you got?" Petrofina asked sarcastically.  
  
"That's not all," Sailor Venus announced as she stepped forward. "VENUS LOVE-CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" The orange chain of hearts went flying straight at Petrofina and struck her right in the stomach. She fell to one knee and held her stomach with both arms.  
  
"I got her!" Sailor Venus yelled triumphantly.  
  
"In your dreams, Blondie!" Petrofina shouted as she stood up with no problem whatsoever.  
  
"I can't believe it! There's not even a scratch on her!" Sailor Venus exclaimed.  
  
"Time for me to return the favor!" Petrofina shouted. She pulled out a massive boulder from the ground with ease and flung it at the two heroes.  
  
"Duck!" Kento shouted in warning. He and Sailor Venus ducked down, barely avoiding the giant hunk of stone thrown at them. Sailor Venus could feel the boulder flying above her, just inches away from grazing her back.  
  
"She's really strong!" Sailor Venus admitted as she and Kento cautiously got up.  
  
"No kidding, Sailor Venus!" Kento remarked. "Any ideas how to take her out permanently?"  
  
"We have to attack Petrofina together!" Sailor Venus reminded him. "That's how our friends defeated those other creatures from the other Celestial Stones. Don't tell me you forgot!"  
  
"I didn't forget, Sailor Venus," Kento retorted. "It just slipped my mind for a minute, that's all."  
  
"Yeah, sure, Kento," Sailor Venus muttered out loud.  
  
"Prepare yourselves, soldiers!" Petrofina shouted, which caused Kento and Sailor Venus to look up. The two warriors gasped loudly when they saw the creature from the Earth Stone holding an even larger boulder above her head. "Time for a crash course in pain!" Petrofina shouted as she threw the massive boulder at the two heroes.  
  
"Oh, no!" Sailor Venus shouted.  
  
"I got it covered," Kento proclaimed as he stepped in between her and the giant boulder flying towards them. He quickly spun his naginata around and swung it toward the approaching boulder. Almost instantly, the boulder broke in half.  
  
"That's not possible!" Petrofina shouted out of complete and utter shock.  
  
"Let's give her our own crash course in pain, Sailor Venus," Kento suggested, with his naginata raised. Sailor Venus nodded in agreement.  
  
"VENUS LOVE-CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"  
  
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"  
  
The chain of orange hearts wrapped itself tightly around Petrofina and restrained her. She tried to escape from the orange chain, but Sailor Venus' Love-Chain wouldn't even budge, no matter how hard she tried. Petrofina gasped loudly as the chain tightened around her body. She screamed loudly in pain as the massive jagged boulders from Kento's attack struck her repeatedly. Suddenly, Petrofina was engulfed in a blinding white light. Both Kento and Sailor Venus shielded their eyes from the bright light.  
  
When the light vanished, the two heroes slowly opened their eyes and gasped out of shock. Petrofina had turned into a solid stone statue as a result of their combined attacks.  
  
"No way!" Kento exclaimed slowly as he and Sailor Venus carefully approached the statue.  
  
"Is it over?" Sailor Venus asked uncertainly. "What if she comes back?"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure she doesn't," Kento replied as he pulled his fist back. Sailor Venus watched as Kento punched the statue of Petrofina with all of his strength, smashing it into several pieces.  
  
"There's no way we'll be seeing Petrofina anytime soon," Kento remarked.  
  
"You got that right," Sailor Venus muttered to herself as she looked at the small pile of rubble that used to be Petrofina.  
  
"Let's get outta here," Kento suggested.  
  
"Okay," Sailor Venus agreed as they headed down the snow-covered mountain. "I can contact our friends through my wrist communicator, and they can come to pick us up."  
  
Unknown to the two heroes, they were being watched by someone concealed behind the split Throne of the Gods. As soon as Kento and Sailor Venus were out of site, Topaz emerged from behind the boulder. He snickered quietly to himself as he reached in between the severed halves of the once massive landmark. A few moments later, Topaz pulled out the Earth Stone from the Throne of the Gods.  
  
"Four down, and one more to go," Topaz remarked sinisterly before he teleported off of the mountain...TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. To the Moon and Back

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part Six-To the Moon and Back  
  
Another day has passed since Kento and Sailor Venus defeated Petrofina. It was early in the evening, and Serena was sprawled out on the bed in the girls' bedroom, taking a nap. The bedroom door slowly opened, and Rini carefully slipped into the room, followed by her hovering Luna Ball and Serena's guardian cat, Luna.  
  
"Serena?" Rini whispered loudly as she slowly tiptoed to the bed, while Luna jumped on top of the bed. Serena groaned slightly in her sleep as she rolled around in the bed.  
  
"Come on, Serena!" Luna shouted. "Get up, you lazy girl!"  
  
"Do I have to get up now?" Serena complained as she slowly opened her eyes. "I was having this wonderful dream where I was flying high in the sky with Tuxedo Mask..."  
  
"Well, we were just waking you up to let you know that dinner was ready," Rini interrupted.  
  
"Dinner's ready? Why didn't you say so?" Serena exclaimed cheerfully as she jumped out of bed and sped downstairs.  
  
"All that poor girl thinks about is food," Luna remarked, shaking her head in disappointment as she and Rini followed Serena downstairs.  
  
"Hey, Mia!" Serena greeted the redhead young woman as she entered the kitchen.  
  
"Hello, Serena," Mia greeted as she ladled some stew into a bowl.  
  
"Wow! That smells great!" Serena admitted as she took in the delicious smell of Mia's home- cooked beef stew.  
  
"Thanks, Serena," Mia admitted as she handed the bowl to Serena. "Be careful with it. It's still hot." Serena nodded as she grabbed a spoon from the counter.  
  
"I'm afraid you'll have to eat in the living room, Serena," Mia reluctantly told the blonde pig-tailed girl. "There's no more room at the table."  
  
"That's okay," Serena replied. "I don't mind eating by myself."  
  
"You won't be eating by yourself," Mia revealed as Serena carefully walked to the kitchen door leading to the living room, balancing the bowl of stew with both hands.  
  
"Well, who else is in there?" Serena asked curiously as she pushed the kitchen door open with her foot.  
  
Serena was a bit surprised when she saw Rowen sitting on the couch. He was looking over some papers spread out on the table, with his bowl set off to the side. Rowen glanced up when Serena entered the living room.  
  
"Hey, Serena," Rowen greeted before he looked back down at the papers spread out before him.  
  
"Hey, Rowen," Serena greeted as she sat down on the floor at the opposite end of the table and placed her bowl of stew on the table, being careful not to put it on any of Rowen's papers. Unfortunately, when she put her bowl in the table, it created a gentle puff of air that knocked some of Rowen's papers off of the table.  
  
"Oops! I'm so sorry, Rowen," Serena apologized as she crawled around the floor, picking up the papers.  
  
"You don't need to do that, Serena," Rowen told her.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it, Rowen," Serena replied as she reached for a paper underneath the table. "I just gotta get one more...Oww!"  
  
"Are you all right?" Rowen asked as Serena sat up and rubbed the small bump on her head.  
  
"I'm okay. I just hit my head," Serena muttered. "Here you go, Rowen." She handed the slightly crumpled papers that she collected to Rowen.  
  
"So...what are those for?" Serena asked curiously as Rowen sorted through the papers she handed back to him.  
  
"These papers are all astronomy maps," Rowen explained. "I'm trying to pinpoint the exact spot I was found after our first encounter with Talpa, which propelled me and the other Ronin Warriors to specific locations all around Japan."  
  
"Okay, but how is that supposed to help us find the Celestial Stone of Air?" Serena asked curiously.  
  
"Well, you see, by some bizarre coincidence, the first four Celestial Stones have been found in the precise areas that Ryo, Sage, Cye, and Kento have been discovered in after that first encounter with Talpa," Rowen explained. "Ryo was located in Mt. Fuji, Sage was located in the Cave of the Pinnacles, Cye was located in the Whirlpools of Naruto, and Kento was located in the Throne of the Gods at Mt. Dojo National Park. It makes logical sense that the Celestial Stone of Air will be found where I was located: up in outer space."  
  
"Wow! Looks like we're gonna have a problem finding it," Serena admitted. "Outer space is huge!"  
  
"It sure is. Have you ever been up there yourself?" Rowen asked curiously.  
  
"Well, actually, yeah," Serena confessed openly before she gently blew at a spoonful of stew to cool it off before eating it. "Wow! This is great!" she exclaimed as she continued eating her stew. "I gotta talk Lita into getting the recipe for this!"  
  
Just then, Rowen and Serena heard the kitchen door being opened. They looked up to see Rini, Luna, and Artemis enter the room, followed by Mia, who was carrying a small bowl of beef stew for Rini.  
  
"Here you go, Rini," Mia announced as she placed the small bowl and a spoon on the table next to Serena's bowl.  
  
"Thank you, Mia," Rini thanked her as she sat down on the floor next to Serena.  
  
"I'll get a bowl for you two as well," Mia told Luna and Artemis before she headed back to the kitchen.  
  
"Thanks, Mia," Artemis replied.  
  
Luna jumped up on the couch next to Rowen and looked at the papers spread out on the table in front of them. "What are these astronomy maps for, Rowen?" Luna asked curiously.  
  
"I'm trying to pinpoint my exact location when I was in a state of suspended animation after our first encounter with Talpa," Rowen explained. "I thought it might help us find the Celestial Stone of Air."  
  
"That sounds like an excellent plan, Rowen," Luna admitted.  
  
"Thank you, Luna," Rowen replied as he started to gather the papers from the table.  
  
"No offense, Rowen, but that sounds next to impossible," Artemis revealed. "Outer space is enormous. How will you be able to find the Celestial Stone of Air in such a seemingly endless void?"  
  
"Well, my theory is that the Celestial Stone of Air is fixed on the Earth's gravitational pull and is caught in a temporary orbit around our planet, similar to how our global positioning satellites rotate around Earth," Rowen revealed. "If it was floating freely around our solar system, that would pose a bit of a problem for us."  
  
"Not just to us, but also to Amethyst and Topaz," Rini muttered thoughtfully.  
  
"That's exactly what I theorized," Rowen announced.  
  
"Geez! You talk just like Amy, Rowen! It's hard to understand you," Serena complained as she finished off her bowl of beef stew.  
  
"Well, anyway," Rowen continued, "I plan on going to the outskirts of Toyama with my telescope later tonight and try to spot this Celestial Stone of Air. It's supposed to be a clear sky tonight, so if the Celestial Stone is up there, I'll find it."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea," Artemis admitted.  
  
"Indeed, it does. And you're going with him, Serena!" Luna announced.  
  
"Aww! Do I have to?" Serena whined.  
  
"Yes, you have to, Serena! The fate of the world depends on it!" Luna shouted.  
  
"Fine, Luna. I'll go get my coat," Serena mumbled as she got up and headed upstairs.  
  
As Serena walked up the stairs, Mia entered the living room, carrying a shallow bowl of beef stew. "Here you are, Luna and Artemis," Mia announced as she set the bowl on the floor for the two cats.  
  
"Thank you, Mia," Artemis replied.  
  
Mia nodded and then noticed that Serena was no longer in the living room. "Where did Serena go?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Upstairs to get her coat," Rini replied.  
  
"I guess Serena will be coming with me. Do you have the keys to the jeep, Mia?" Rowen asked as he stood up.  
  
"Here you are, Rowen," Mia replied as she handed Rowen her car keys.  
  
"Thanks, Mia. We'll be back later tonight, possibly sooner if we can't find that Celestial Stone of Air." Rowen headed to the staircase and shouted, "Come on, Serena! Let's go!"  
  
"Okay, just give me a minute!" Serena shouted as she quickly ran downstairs, with her long pale blue jacket draped over her arm. She accidentally stepped on the trail of her jacket and tripped.  
  
"Ahh!" Serena screamed as she fell down the remaining stairs. Rowen reached out and managed to catch her before she hit the floor.  
  
"Are you okay, Serena?" Rini asked with concern.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Serena gasped.  
  
"Are you sure, Serena?" Mia asked.  
  
"Mm-hmm," Serena replied, nodding her head.  
  
"What's going on?" Ryo asked. Serena, Rowen, Mia, Rini, Luna, and Artemis looked up and saw Ryo standing at the doorway leading into the kitchen, along with Sage, Rae, and Amy.  
  
"We heard Serena scream," Sage added.  
  
"She's all right," Rowen replied as he let go of Serena. "Serena just tripped and fell down the stairs."  
  
"That's nothing new," Rae muttered sarcastically as she turned around to head back to the dining room. Serena stuck her tongue out at Rae's back in response to her rude remark.  
  
"You sure you're all right, Serena?" Amy asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, Amy," Serena assured Amy as she put on her light blue jacket.  
  
"We should get going, Serena," Rowen interrupted as he picked up a heavy black case, which contained his telescope.  
  
"Okay, okay," Serena complained as she buttoned up her jacket and headed out of the door.  
  
"Looks like you have a bit of a challenge with Serena there, Rowen," Sage remarked.  
  
"No kidding, Sage," Rowen muttered out loud.  
  
"Rowen, you mustn't give up on Serena so easily," Amy told him.  
  
"Well, I don't know about this, Amy. Honestly, I'd prefer it if you came with me instead of Serena," Rowen confessed. "You obviously understand this much better than she does."  
  
"Rowen, you know as well as I do that you and Serena must work together to defeat the creature from the Celestial Stone of Air, that is if the creature emerges before you can get to it in time," Amy revealed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rowen reluctantly admitted.  
  
"Come on, Rowen! I'm getting cold out here!" Serena complained loudly from outside.  
  
"Hold on, Serena, I'm coming," Rowen shouted as he headed for the front door...  
  
"How much longer do we have to stay out here, Rowen?" Serena asked as she pulled up the collar of her jacket to help keep her neck warm.  
  
"Calm down, Serena. We just got here five minutes ago," Rowen replied calmly as he removed his telescope from the carrying case and started to set it up. Rowen and Serena were standing on top of a tall hill overlooking the city of Toyama. The night sky above them was peppered with many bright stars.  
  
"There we are. All set," Rowen announced as he attached the telescope on top of the tripod. He peered into the eyepiece and turned a knob on the side of the telescope to adjust the view.  
  
"Just a little bit more...Perfect!" Rowen announced. He looked up at Serena, who was staring up at the night sky. "Care to have a look, Serena?" Rowen asked.  
  
"What?" Serena asked, who was a bit startled by Rowen's question.  
  
"Do you want to look through the telescope?" Rowen repeated.  
  
"Umm...sure, I guess," Serena replied as she walked over to Rowen. She knelt down at the telescope and peered through the eyepiece.  
  
"Do you see anything out of the ordinary?" Rowen asked as Serena continued to look at the sky with the telescope.  
  
"Nope, just a bunch of stars," Serena revealed as she stepped away from the telescope.  
  
"Let me check it out," Rowen requested as he looked through his telescope's eyepiece.  
  
"Okay, Rowen," Serena replied as she backed away from the telescope. She leaned her back against a nearby tree, while gazing up at the star-filled sky above her head. "Do you think we'll be able to find it in time?" Serena asked worriedly.  
  
"Don't worry, Serena. I'm certain that we'll find the Celestial Stone of Air long before that creature ever gets a chance to come out," Rowen replied as he slowly swung the telescope back and forth.  
  
"I sure hope so, Rowen," Serena murmured out loud...  
  
"Hmm..." Topaz murmured thoughtfully to himself. He had been carefully watching Rowen and Serena through his crystal ball ever since they left Mia's house. "Amethyst! You must see this!" Topaz shouted.  
  
"What is it now, Topaz?" Amethyst asked wearily as she entered the dark room.  
  
"It's Rowen of Strata and Sailor Moon, Amethyst. They're searching for the Celestial Stone of Air as we speak," Topaz explained as he pointed at the images of Rowen and Serena in his crystal ball.  
  
"Just what we need," Amethyst muttered angrily. "Is the Celestial Stone of Air fully charged yet, Topaz?"  
  
Topaz looked up from his crystal at the black metal box attached to the wall. The first four bars were completely filled with red, green, light blue, and orange light. The last bar was almost completely filled with dark blue light. "It will be very soon, Amethyst," Topaz revealed.  
  
"That's good to hear," Amethyst admitted. "It doesn't really matter, though. Even if Rowen of Strata and Sailor Moon manage to find the Celestial Stone of Air, they have no way of getting to it." Amethyst chuckled evilly as she continued to watch the images of Rowen and Serena on her brother's crystal ball...  
  
"Any luck, Rowen?" Serena asked curiously.  
  
"Nothing yet, Serena," Rowen replied, who was still looking through the telescope.  
  
Serena let out a deep sigh as she sat down on the ground. She looked up and stared at the crescent moon glowing brightly in the dark sky. "I wonder: what did it used to be like living in the Moon Kingdom?" Serena wondered aloud.  
  
"What are you talking about, Serena?" Rowen asked curiously as he looked up from his telescope. "What Moon Kingdom?"  
  
"Umm, well...a very long time ago, there used to be this huge palace on the moon," Serena explained while pointing up at the crescent moon.  
  
"A palace on the moon? Sounds like a fairy tale to me," Rowen muttered out loud.  
  
"It's no fairy tale, Rowen! It really did exist!" Serena insisted.  
  
"Okay, if this 'Moon Kingdom' did exist at one time, then what happened to it? And how do you know about it?" Rowen asked.  
  
"The Moon Kingdom was destroyed by this evil witch called Queen Beryl and her army," Serena explained. "I know about it because I used to live there. Believe it or not, I was the princess of the Moon Kingdom! When Queen Beryl attacked, my mother, Queen Serenity, used the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to defeat her and to save me, along with the rest of the Moon Kingdom. We were all reborn on Earth, with no memories of our past lives at all."  
  
"If you didn't have any memories of the Moon Kingdom, then how did you find out about it?" Rowen asked curiously as he sat down next to Serena, obviously intrigued by her story.  
  
"Well, about a year or so ago, from my time, that is, I found out from Luna that I was Sailor Moon, defender of the Moon Kingdom. I didn't find out till later that I was also the princess of the Moon Kingdom. Anyway, the reason Luna told me was because it turned out that Queen Beryl was still alive and trying to take over Earth! Besides having to fight those icky monsters she sent after me, I had to find the rest of the Sailor Scouts, who are also princesses of other planets. You can probably figure that part out, Rowen!"  
  
"Yeah, that's fairly simple to figure out," Rowen admitted.  
  
"The five of us eventually defeated Queen Beryl for good, but she wasn't the only bad guy we had to fight," Serena continued. "There were also these two aliens: Ann and Alan. They posed as students at my own school during the day, but at night, they were zapping energy from innocent people so they could keep their Doom Tree alive."  
  
"What's a Doom Tree?" Rowen asked.  
  
"The Doom Tree was this huge tree from another planet, which provided Ann and Alan with energy. They had to keep it alive with fresh energy from other people, or they would die along with it," Serena explained.  
  
"That was similar to what Talpa was doing with the civilians he had captured from Toyama, only he was feeding on their fear and hatred," Rowen revealed.  
  
"Who's this Talpa that you keep talking about, Rowen?" Serena asked curiously.  
  
"Talpa was this evil spirit from the Nether World that's been around for over a thousand years," Rowen explained. "Talpa tried to take over our world with his army of Dynasty Soldiers, Nether Spirits, and his four Dark Warlords, who had armor similar to our own. We found out later that all nine armors were actually created from Talpa's armor a thousand years ago in an attempt to prevent Talpa from reclaiming his armor. The five of us eventually defeated Talpa once and for all, with the help of the Dark Warlords, believe it or not."  
  
"Whoa!" Serena exclaimed slowly. "That must have been hard."  
  
"I'll admit, it was extremely difficult to defeat Talpa and his Evil Dynasty," Rowen revealed. "But no matter how difficult the battle became, none of us ever gave up."  
  
There was an awkward pause of silence between the two young heroes. "Serena, I recall that your friend, Sailor Pluto, mentioned something about the Dark Moon family. What is that, exactly?"  
  
"The Dark Moon family is this evil family from the future," Serena explained. "You can tell who they are by the black crescent moons on their foreheads, like with Amethyst and Topaz."  
  
"So, are Amethyst and Topaz from your time, Serena?" Rowen asked curiously.  
  
"Well, actually, they're from the thirtieth century," Serena revealed, which caught Rowen off guard.  
  
"The thirtieth century?" Rowen gasped loudly. "I thought you and the other Scouts were from only ten years ahead of our current time."  
  
"Yeah, we are, Rowen. Other members from the Dark Moon family went back in time before to try and destroy us Sailor Scouts, but they failed," Serena explained. "We thought there were only four of them, but it turned out that we were wrong. There were two other members of the Dark Moon family that we didn't know about until now."  
  
"I see," Rowen muttered out loud. "There's just one thing that I don't understand, Serena. How does Rini fit into all of this?"  
  
Before Serena could say anything, she saw something strange flash in the sky. "What was that?" she gasped.  
  
"What is it, Serena? What did you see?" Rowen asked. "Up there!" Serena shouted, pointing up at the moon. "I think it's the Air Stone!" Rowen looked up at the area that Serena was pointing at and saw the distinctive dot of dark blue light flashing in the sky.  
  
"I believe you might be right, Serena," Rowen muttered thoughtfully as he and Serena stood up. "Just give me a minute." Rowen quickly ran over to his telescope and swung it in the same area where Serena spotted the dark blue light.  
  
"Do you see it, Rowen?" Serena asked as Rowen peered through the telescope's eyepiece.  
  
"Hold on a second, Serena," Rowen replied as he focused the telescope on the distinctive dot of dark blue light near the crescent moon. He noticed that the dark blue light was flashing on and off, like no star that he had ever seen before.  
  
"There's definitely something suspicious about it," Rowen revealed as he looked up from the telescope. "This calls for further investigation."  
  
"You got a plan?" Serena asked.  
  
"Sure do, Serena," Rowen replied, "but we'll both have to suit up first before we do anything."  
  
"All right," Serena replied as she reached for her locket. "Moon Crystal Power!"  
  
"That's incredible!" Rowen muttered to himself as he watched Serena transform into Sailor Moon.  
  
"What are you waiting for, Rowen?" Sailor Moon asked curiously. "Aren't you gonna transform into your armor?"  
  
"Oh, right," Rowen stuttered as he pulled out the small crystal orb from his pocket. "Armor of Strata! DAO INOCHI!"  
  
As soon as Rowen finished transforming into his full dark blue and white armor, Sailor Moon asked, "So, Rowen, how are we going to get up there?"  
  
"Like I said, I have a plan," Rowen replied as he looked up at the night sky. "You'll have to hold on to me, Sailor Moon."  
  
"What for?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"Just trust me on this, all right?" Rowen asked.

"Okay," Sailor Moon hesitantly agreed as she wrapped her arms around Rowen's neck.

"Hang on, Sailor Moon. Here we go!" Rowen announced as he closed his eyes and concentrated.  
  
_Life!_ he thought as his kanji glowed on his forehead.

Sailor Moon was startled to see a blue light radiate from Rowen's armor, creating a large hollow sphere of blue light around them. The leader of the Sailor Scouts let out a frightened little yell when the sphere of blue light suddenly lifted her and Rowen up in the air.  
  
"W-What's going on?" Sailor Moon asked fearfully as she held on tighter to Rowen.  
  
"There's no need to panic, Sailor Moon," Rowen reassured her. "This shield will take us up to that Celestial Stone we're after."  
  
"Okay. Sorry," Sailor Moon apologized as she loosened her grip.  
  
"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting this from the leader of the Sailor Scouts," Rowen remarked with a quick laugh.  
  
"Okay, I know I'm not the bravest warrior there is. It's not like I ever asked for this job, Rowen, but I guess that you can't fight your destiny," Sailor Moon replied.  
  
"That is true," Rowen admitted. "You can let go of me now. Trust me, you're not going to fall."  
  
"Well...okay, if you say so," Sailor Moon agreed a bit hesitantly as she slowly let go of Rowen. She was relieved when she discovered that the hollow blue sphere was supporting both of them.  
  
"Not to startle you, Sailor Moon, but I'm going to speed up our ride here," Rowen announced. "At the rate we're going now, we'll never reach that Celestial Stone in time. Brace yourself!" Sailor Moon watched as Rowen pressed his hands against the inner wall of the blue sphere, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Sailor Moon was a bit startled when the orb of blue light sped towards the sky with increasing speed. She fell to the bottom of the orb as it continued ascending rapidly toward the endless regions of space.  
  
"I don't know if this is such a good idea, Rowen!" Sailor Moon whimpered out loud as she struggled to sit up on her knees.  
  
"Don't give up, Sailor Moon!" a familiar voice announced, catching Sailor Moon by surprise. She looked up and gasped loudly out of shock. Rowen was no longer standing inside of the orb of blue light with her. Instead, there was a young man dressed in a black tuxedo with a long flowing cape, a white mask, a cane, and a matching top hat.  
  
"Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Moon whispered.  
  
"Are you okay, Sailor Moon?" Rowen asked curiously. Sailor Moon shook her head and looked up at Rowen, who had a puzzled expression on his face. She then realized that she only imagined seeing Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Rowen," Sailor Moon apologized as her face became red with embarrassment. "For a minute there, I thought you were someone else."  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, who is this Tuxedo Mask? A friend of yours?" Rowen asked.  
  
"Not exactly..." Sailor Moon trailed off.  
  
"Oh, I get it. Your relationship is a bit more...personal tan that, right?" Rowen realized.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you can say that," Sailor Moon replied.  
  
Rowen looked back out at the seemingly endless black void surrounding him and Sailor Moon. His blue eyes focused on the dark blue dot of light in the distance. "I see it, Sailor Moon!" Rowen announced.  
  
"You do? Where?" Sailor Moon asked curiously as she stood up.  
  
"Over there," Rowen replied as he pointed at the speck of dark blue light. "Do you see it?"  
  
"Yeah, I see it, Rowen," Sailor Moon admitted. "How are we going to get it?"  
  
"Simple, Sailor Moon. I'm going to reel it in," Rowen explained as he took out his gold bow and loaded it with one of his arrows. Sailor Moon watched as Rowen took careful aim and fired his arrow at the dark blue light in the distance. As the gold arrow exited the shield of light surrounding Rowen and Sailor Moon, it turned into a long stream of sparkling gold powder. The stream of gold powder arched around the spot of dark blue light, striking it and sending it spiraling towards the two heroes.  
  
"Here it comes," Rowen told Sailor Moon as the ball of dark blue light came closer to them. Rowen reached out his arms and caught the large dark blue glass orb as it entered the hollow orb that encased him and Sailor Moon.  
  
"All right! We got the Air Stone!" Sailor Moon cheered.  
  
"Now we just have to figure out a way to destroy this thing before--" Rowen was interrupted as the Celestial Stone of Air suddenly radiated a dark blue glow.  
  
"What's it doing, Rowen?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"I wish I knew," Rowen replied. He gasped when the Celestial Stone of Air mysteriously floated out of his hands and exited the shield projected by his armor.  
  
Rowen and Sailor Moon watched helplessly as the Celestial Stone of Air emitted a nearly blinding dark blue light. The two heroes had to shield their eyes from the bright light. When they moved their hands away from their eyes, Rowen and Sailor Moon gasped when they saw that the Celestial Stone of Air was gone. In its place was a creature bearing the symbol of the Dark Moon family on her forehead. Her short midnight blue hair was cut at a sharp angle, the tips barely touching her pale white shoulders. She wore a dark blue sleeveless dress with a short and unusually wide skirt, long dark blue high-heel boots ending at her knees, and matching fingerless gloves that ended at her elbows.  
  
"Oh, no! We're too late!" Sailor Moon cried out.  
  
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Sailor Moon," the creature retorted sarcastically as she stared sinisterly at the two heroes with her dark blue eyes.  
  
"Whoever you are, you're going down with the rest of them!" Rowen shouted as he fired one of his arrows at the creature. When the arrow was just inches away from striking her, to Rowen and Sailor Moon's surprise, she quickly moved out of the way with the speed of a shooting star.  
  
"No way!" Sailor Moon gasped.  
  
"She's pretty fast!" Rowen reluctantly admitted.  
  
"You two have only begun to witness the extent of my powers!" the creature admitted as she lifted her hands above her head. Rowen and Sailor Moon gasped when they saw a meteor shower heading straight towards them.  
  
"She's sending those meteors right at us!" Rowen shouted.  
  
"How astute of you, Rowen of Strata," the creature retorted. "By the way, I think it's only fair that you should know my name before your demise."  
  
"How generous of you," Rowen retorted under his breath.  
  
"The name is Astronema!" the creature admitted as the meteors started to fly past her.  
  
"Hold on, Sailor Moon! We're gonna be in for a bumpy ride!" Rowen warned Sailor Moon as they suddenly found themselves in the center of the meteor shower. The hollow sphere of dark blue light protecting the two heroes was violently knocked back and forth like a pinball as the huge chunks of floating rock struck it.  
  
"I don't know if I can take much more of this!" Sailor Moon shouted as she got thrown into the side of the shield once again, along with Rowen.  
  
"We have to get out of here! Astronema's too powerful up here in space!" Rowen shouted. He quickly stood up and, with his mind, directed the sphere of blue light back towards Earth.  
  
"You cannot escape me, Rowen of Strata and Sailor Moon!" Astronema shouted as she gave chase. As Rowen and Sailor Moon entered the Earth's atmosphere, Sailor Moon turned around and gasped loudly when she saw Astronema slowly catching up with them.  
  
"She's gaining on us, Rowen!" Sailor Moon shouted.  
  
"I'm well aware of this, Sailor Moon. Hang on!" Rowen warned her as he caused the hollow sphere of blue light to speed up. Suddenly, the shield shook violently, causing Sailor Moon and Rowen to fall to their knees.  
  
"What was that?" Sailor Moon asked nervously.  
  
Rowen looked up and gasped when he saw Astronema flying right next to them. "We got company!" Rowen shouted as Astronema punched the shield hard, causing it to shake violently once again.  
  
"What's the matter, you two? Afraid to fight me?" Astronema asked sinisterly.  
  
"We're not afraid of you, Astronema!" Rowen shouted as he took out another arrow, placed it in his bow, and aimed it straight at Astronema. "ARROW SHOCK WAVE!"  
  
Astronema let out a startled scream as the blast of gold energy struck her hard in the stomach, propelling her far away from Rowen and Sailor Moon. "You two haven't seen the last of me!" Astronema proclaimed.  
  
"Now's our chance!" Rowen announced as he directed the sphere of blue light to the ground. "You ready to fight back, Sailor Moon? You can bet that Astronema is going to carry out her threat!"  
  
"Mm-hmm," Sailor Moon replied, nodding her head. Just then, the two heroes landed on the same hill where they began their journey into outer space.  
  
"Get ready! Here she comes!" Rowen announced as he pointed at a speck of blue light speeding towards them. Sailor Moon nodded as she took out a dark pink scepter with a large red heart on top, decorated with gold trim and a small gold crown. Rowen also took out another one of his gold arrows and loaded it into his bow as the sphere of light surrounding them faded away.  
  
"I shall finish you two off to please my masters!" Astronema shouted as she flew in between them with incredible speed.  
  
"How are we going to destroy her, Rowen? She's too fast!" Sailor Moon shouted.  
  
"We have to make Astronema slow down so we can finish her off," Rowen revealed.  
  
"But how can we do that?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"Leave that to me!" Rowen announced as he rapidly fired several arrows at Astronema. Astronema managed to avoid most of the flying arrows, but one of them flew very close to her arm, leaving a long narrow cut in her pale white flesh.  
  
"You will pay dearly for that, Rowen of Strata!" Astronema muttered angrily as she clutched at her injured arm.  
  
"Sorry, but that's not on the agenda tonight, Astronema!" Rowen shouted as he continued firing his arrows at Astronema. "Here's your chance, Sailor Moon. Get her while she's distracted!"  
  
"Got it!" Sailor Moon replied as she carefully watched Astronema, who was distracted by Rowen's arrows. "MOON SCEPTER ELIMINATION!"  
  
Astronema was so busy avoiding the barrage of gold arrows that she never noticed the spiral of sparkling gold powder and blue rings heading towards her until it was too late. She screamed loudly out of pain as the spiral of energy struck her head, causing her to plummet to the ground.  
  
Rowen and Sailor Moon watched as Astronema crashed into the ground, leaving a large hole in the hill they were standing on. "I think that did it," Rowen muttered thoughtfully as he looked at Sailor Moon. "No way anyone could survive that fall."  
  
"Except for Astronema!" Sailor Moon shouted as she pointed at the hole. Rowen turned around and gasped when he saw Astronema slowly pulling herself out of the hole.  
  
"Combining our attacks is the only way to get rid of her forever. You ready, Sailor Moon?" Rowen asked.  
  
"You bet I am!" Sailor Moon admitted.  
  
"Now! ARROW SHOCK WAVE!"  
  
"MOON SCEPTER ELIMINATION!"  
  
"NO!" Astronema screamed as the two attacks nailed her head on. Rowen and Sailor Moon shielded their eyes when Astronema suddenly became engulfed in a blinding white light. When the two heroes looked back up where Astronema was, they gasped when they saw her body disintegrate into an explosion of gold stardust.  
  
"Yay! We did it!" Sailor Moon cheered.  
  
"It's all over," Rowen admitted proudly as he put away his bow.  
  
"That's what you think!" Rowen and Sailor Moon heard a familiar voice shout. The two heroes looked up and gasped loudly when they saw Topaz floating high above their heads.  
  
"You fools think you already won, but this battle is far from over!" Topaz boasted as he stretched his arm out in front of him over the indentation left in the ground by Astronema.  
  
"No way!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she and Rowen watched the Celestial Stone float out of the hole.  
  
"How can that be? We destroyed Astronema!" Rowen asked aloud.  
  
"Foolish mortal! You can destroy the creatures from the Celestial Stones as often as you wish, but that doesn't mean the Celestial Stones have been destroyed!" Topaz announced as the Celestial Stone of Air landed in his hand.  
  
"If that's true, then that means...you have all five Celestial Stones?" Rowen asked out of shock.  
  
"Indeed I do, Rowen of Strata!" Topaz admitted as the four other Celestial Stones mysteriously appeared and floated above his head. "My sister and I now have the power to destroy Crystal Tokyo once and for all, and there's nothing you puny Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts can do about it!" Topaz let out a loud sinister laugh as he disappeared, along with the five Celestial Stones.  
  
"Oh, no!" Sailor Moon gasped. "We can't let them destroy Crystal Tokyo, Rowen!"  
  
"I know, Sailor Moon. We need to get back to Mia's and let the others know what's going on," Rowen suggested.  
  
"Good idea, Rowen," Sailor Moon agreed as they quickly ran to Mia's jeep...TO BE CONTINUED


	8. The Final Showdown

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE  
  
Part Seven-The Final Showdown  
  
"No way! Are you guys kidding?" Kento exclaimed out of shock. The five Ronin Warriors, the five Sailor Scouts, Rini, Luna, and Artemis were all sitting in the living room, discussing what had happened the previous night to Rowen and Sailor Moon.  
  
"I wish we were, but we're not kidding, Kento," Serena reluctantly revealed.  
  
"Topaz claimed that he and Amethyst now have the power necessary to take over Crystal Tokyo," Rowen added.  
  
"But how is that even possible?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Yeah, we did destroy all those creatures from the Celestial Stones," Rae pointed out.  
  
"Apparently, it wasn't the creatures they needed, but the Celestial Stones themselves," Rowen explained. "Those monsters were just an added bonus in their favor."  
  
"So, these Celestial Stones were just simply batteries that needed charging up," Luna theorized.  
  
"Perhaps they can be summoned again," Rowen muttered thoughtfully.  
  
"What are you talking about, Rowen?" Cye asked curiously.  
  
"Well, since the Celestial Stones are still intact, and that's where the creatures originally came from, then maybe Topaz and Amethyst can bring them back!" Rowen announced. "That doesn't sound good," Mina reluctantly admitted. "Our entire future could be at risk."  
  
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Lita proclaimed as she held up her clenched fist.  
  
"You sure you're up to it, Lita?" Sage asked curiously.  
  
"Don't worry about me, Sage. My ankle is completely healed," Lita assured him. "I can get around just fine on my own."  
  
"Can you back that up, Lita?" Kento asked sarcastically.  
  
"What? You want a demonstration, Kento?" Lita asked loudly as she stood up from the couch. "Come on! Get up and I'll show you!"  
  
"Don't do it, Kento. You'll regret it," Mina warned Kento as he got up from the floor.  
  
"Yeah, right, Mina. What is she gonna do?" Kento retorted. To Kento's surprise, Lita quickly spun around and tripped him with a low kick, causing him to fall flat on his back.  
  
"I tried to warn you, Kento, but you wouldn't listen," Mina remarked as Lita helped Kento to his feet.  
  
"Looks like Lita's ankle is completely healed to me!" Sage admitted, trying to muffle his snickering.  
  
"Enough joking around, guys! We have to find a way to stop Amethyst and Topaz before they destroy this Crystal Tokyo!" Ryo interrupted.  
  
"You're right, Ryo. But first, we have to find them," Rae agreed.  
  
"They must have a temporary base around here somewhere. We must locate it as quickly as possible," Amy suggested.  
  
"Yeah, but we have no idea where to start looking, Amy," Serena pointed out.  
  
"I think I have an idea," Rowen muttered out loud.  
  
"What are you talking about, Rowen?" Sage asked curiously.  
  
"When Serena and I were searching for the Celestial Stone of Air last night, I saw something unusual up in space," Rowen revealed. "At first, I thought it was a misshapen asteroid, but now that I think about it, I believe that what I saw was actually a floating castle."  
  
"A floating castle? You sure you weren't seeing things, Rowen?" Kento asked suspiciously.  
  
"No, he wasn't seeing things, Kento! I saw it, too!" Serena announced.  
  
"You did?" Rowen asked curiously as he looked at Serena.  
  
"Yeah, I did, Rowen. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it before, but I thought I was seeing things," Serena confessed.  
  
"That would actually make sense," Amy muttered thoughtfully. "In our past battles against the other members of the Dark Moon family, they have arrived to our time using massive spaceships composed entirely of black crystals that looked similar to castles."  
  
"Ryo, didn't you say before that when you went to Mt. Fuji, you nearly got blasted by purple lightning?" Rae asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, I was," Ryo replied.  
  
"That confirms it. This purple lightning you speak of doesn't sound natural at all. It could have been some sort of an aerial attack that was meant for you, Ryo," Amy suggested. "Amethyst and Topaz must have assumed that you somehow discovered the location of the Celestial Stone of Fire, although we all know that you had no prior knowledge about it until you met up with Rae."  
  
"That would make sense," Ryo admitted. "That purple lightning was definitely trying to strike me down. Last time I checked, lightning didn't have a mind of its own!"  
  
"So, now that we know where they are, we just need to figure out a way to get up there and stop them before they leave for Crystal Tokyo," Sage revealed. "Any ideas?"  
  
The group of ten heroes sat in complete silence for a few minutes, along with Rini, Luna, and Artemis, pondering over how to get on the spaceship.  
  
"I have an idea," Amy announced.  
  
"What is it, Amy?" Cye asked curiously.  
  
"We can use Sailor Planet Power to teleport all ten of us onto that spaceship," Amy explained.  
  
"Are you sure this is such a good idea, Amy?" Artemis asked.  
  
"Artemis is right," Luna pointed out. "The five of you have never attempted to teleport anyone other than yourselves when you used Sailor Planet Power before. Who knows what will happen if you try to teleport five extra passengers?"  
  
"We know, Luna, but we don't have a lot of choices," Rae explained. "This might be our only chance at stopping Amethyst and Topaz once and for all."  
  
"Sounds like a plan, guys. You can definitely count me in!" Lita announced.  
  
"Same here," Mina added.  
  
"Hey, don't forget about me!" Serena exclaimed.  
  
"I don't know about this. If using this Sailor Planet Power of yours is going to be dangerous, we shouldn't risk it," Ryo muttered out loud.  
  
"Well, unless you have another idea, Ryo, that's our only option," Rae pointed out.  
  
"We could use the power of the Ronin armors to go up into space, just like what we did last night, Serena," Rowen suggested.  
  
"That could work..." Serena muttered thoughtfully. "But then again, once we get to the spaceship, how do we get inside?"  
  
"I guess I haven't given that part much thought," Rowen reluctantly admitted.  
  
"Do you happen to know the location of the spaceship you saw last night?" Amy asked curiously.  
  
"Not exactly," Rowen confessed. "Even if we did know, Amethyst and Topaz had plenty of time to relocate."  
  
"That's why we have to use Sailor Planet Power, guys," Rae explained. "We'll be able to teleport right inside of the spaceship, no matter where it is, and it'd be much quicker than all of us traveling around space in those orbs, having no idea where to look."  
  
"Let's go for it, Ryo!" Kento shouted.  
  
"Yeah, let's do it," Ryo agreed.  
  
"I'm coming, too!" The five Ronin Warriors and five Sailor Scouts turned around and stared at Rini, stunned that she would even suggest that.  
  
"No way, Rini! You're staying here where it's safe!" Serena argued.  
  
"But, Serena, I can help!" Rini protested.  
  
"Sorry, Rini, but you can't come with us," Serena told Rini sternly.  
  
"I don't know about you guys, but in a way, Rini kinda reminds me of Yuli," Ryo whispered just loud enough for Sage, Cye, Kento, and Rowen to hear.  
  
"Rini, listen to us. We all promised Sailor Pluto that we wouldn't let anything happen to you," Lita announced.  
  
"You know as well as we do that the Dark Moon family has tried to capture you before, Rini, and bringing you with us on their own spaceship would give Amethyst and Topaz the opportunity to succeed where their brothers and sister have failed," Amy added.  
  
"You understand why you can't come with us, right, Rini?" Mina asked curiously.  
  
The little pink-haired girl stood there for a few moments without even saying a word. "Yeah, I guess," Rini reluctantly agreed.  
  
"Don't worry, Rini. We'll stay here with you and Mia," Luna announced as Artemis nodded his head in approval.  
  
"And White Blaze will stay here to protect all of you, just in case Amethyst and Topaz try something while we're gone," Ryo added as he got up, opened the front door, and let out a sharp whistle. "White Blaze!" The white tiger let out a small roar as he entered the house.  
  
"I feel safer already!" Rini admitted with a slight giggle as White Blaze sat down next to her.  
  
"We should get going now. We don't have any time to waste," Ryo announced.  
  
"Right," Rae agreed as the ten heroes all stood up and headed for the front door...  
  
"This should work. No one will see us out here," Ryo revealed. The ten heroes were standing in a clearing deep in the forest behind Mia's house. The Ronin Warriors were all in their sub-armor, whereas the girls haven't transformed into their Sailor Scout uniforms yet.  
  
"This is an excellent location you have selected, Ryo," Amy admitted as she looked around at the surrounding trees. "In such a vaguely populated area, no one will witness what we're about to do."  
  
"That's good. It'd be kinda hard to explain to anyone that you girls are from the future," Sage remarked.  
  
"Come on, girls! Let's do it!" Serena announced.  
  
"Right!" Rae, Amy, Lita, and Mina agreed simultaneously as they took out their transformation wands.  
  
"Moon Crystal Power!" Serena shouted as she held up her locket.  
  
"Mars Star Power!"  
  
"Mercury Star Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Star Power!"  
  
"Venus Star Power!"  
  
"Scout Power!" Rae, Amy, Lita, and Mina shouted simultaneously.  
  
The Ronin Warriors stood back and watched as the five Sailor Scouts went through their transformations. "So, how is this Sailor Planet Power supposed to work?" Kento asked curiously as the five girls finished transforming.  
  
"Well, by concentrating on the exact location and focusing all of our powers, we will be able to teleport onto the spaceship and stop Amethyst and Topaz before they can return to Crystal Tokyo," Sailor Mercury explained.  
  
"All right. What do you need us to do?" Sage asked.  
  
"Just stand together, and we'll take care of the rest," Sailor Jupiter announced.  
  
"Okay," Ryo replied as he, Sage, Cye, Kento, and Rowen grouped together as close as they could. After the Ronin Warriors banded together, the five Sailor Scouts circled around the Ronin Warriors.  
  
"You ready, Scouts?" Sailor Moon asked as she looked around at her four friends.  
  
"Any time, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars shouted.  
  
"Just give the word!" Sailor Venus added.  
  
"All right! Let's do this!" Sailor Moon announced as she, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus quickly joined hands.  
  
"Mercury Star Power!" Sailor Mercury shouted.  
  
"Mars Star Power!" Sailor Mars shouted.  
  
"Jupiter Star Power!" Sailor Jupiter shouted.  
  
"Venus Star Power!" Sailor Venus shouted.  
  
"Moon Crystal Power!" Sailor Moon shouted.  
  
"SAILOR PLANET POWER!" the five Sailor Scouts shouted simultaneously.  
  
"Look at that! They're all glowing!" Rowen exclaimed loudly.  
  
Ryo, Sage, Cye, and Kento looked up and gasped out of surprise when they saw that the Sailor Scouts were indeed radiating a glow of colorful light from their bodies. Suddenly, the Ronin Warriors found themselves and the Sailor Scouts encased in a column of white light. As soon as the column of white light appeared, it disappeared just as quickly, taking the ten heroes along with it...  
  
"This is strange. I'm picking up a very powerful energy reading from Earth, Amethyst," Topaz reported to his sister. "Whatever it is, it's definitely not from this time."  
  
"I'll bet that meddlesome Sailor Moon and her pesky Sailor Scout friends are up to something," Amethyst muttered thoughtfully. "Like us, they're from a future time and place as well."  
  
"That is possible, Amethyst. According to my readings, the energy came from outside the city of Toyama in Japan, where the Ronin Warriors are located," Topaz revealed.  
  
"Can you find out what's causing this strange energy reading, Topaz?" Amethyst asked.  
  
"Of course, Amethyst. Just give me a moment," Topaz replied as he closed his eyes and focused his energy on the crystal ball in front of him. A few moments later, an image of the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors appeared in the crystal ball. The five Sailor Scouts were standing around the Ronin Warriors in a circle, with their hands joined together.  
  
"SAILOR PLANET POWER!" the Sailor Scouts shouted simultaneously.  
  
"They're using Sailor Planet Power. I remember hearing about this. It allows the Scouts to either create a powerful shield to protect themselves or to teleport anyplace they choose," Amethyst admitted.  
  
"If that's true, Amethyst, then they all must be on their way up here," Topaz realized. "This could be our chance to rid ourselves of the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors once and for all!"  
  
"Was Small Lady with them, Topaz?" Amethyst asked as she watched the ten heroes disappear in a bright column of white light.  
  
"No, she wasn't. The Scouts probably left Small Lady in the care of the Ronin Warriors' ally, the one they call Mia," Topaz replied.  
  
"Then I suggest you go down there and get her, Topaz!" Amethyst muttered sternly. "With Small Lady in our possession, along with the Jewel of Life, our conquest of Crystal Tokyo is inevitable."  
  
"But what about the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors, Amethyst?" Topaz asked curiously. "As we speak, they are on their way up here. They could arrive on our ship any minute now."  
  
"I know that, Topaz!" Amethyst muttered angrily through clenched teeth. "Don't worry about them. I'll take care of our uninvited guests until you come back with Small Lady. Now go down there and get her, Topaz."  
  
"Right away, Amethyst. Consider it done," Topaz replied as he got up and left the dark room...  
  
"Rini, are you okay?" Mia asked curiously. "You barely touched your food."  
  
"I guess I'm not very hungry, Mia," Rini replied solemnly as she pushed away the plate with a partially eaten sandwich on it. Mia and Rini were sitting at the kitchen table, with Rini's Luna Ball hovering next to her. Luna and Artemis were sitting on the floor next to Rini.  
  
"What's wrong, Rini?" Artemis asked.  
  
"I'm worried about Serena...and the other girls," Rini muttered out loud.  
  
Upon hearing this, Luna jumped up on top of a chair and onto the table. "There's no need to worry, Rini. The Sailor Scouts will defeat Amethyst and Topaz," Luna proclaimed.  
  
"And don't forget, Rini, the Ronin Warriors are with your friends," Mia added. "Together, they'll put an end to this evil."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Rini whispered as she got out of her chair. "I'm going to go outside and play for a while."  
  
"Okay, Rini. Be careful," Mia instructed as Rini left the house through the kitchen door, followed by her floating Luna Ball. "Luna, why would those Dark Moon people be after such an innocent little girl?" Mia asked.  
  
"That innocent little girl plays a very important role in thirtieth century Crystal Tokyo, Mia," Luna explained.  
  
"What kind of role?" Mia asked curiously.  
  
"I'm afraid we can't tell you that, Mia. Revealing too much of what will happen in the future might drastically alter it," Artemis replied.  
  
"I understand, Artemis," Mia admitted. Suddenly, Mia and the two guardian cats heard Rini scream from outside.  
  
"Rini!" Luna and Artemis shouted as they ran for the kitchen door, followed by Mia. When Mia opened the door, she and the two cats gasped loudly out of shock. Rini was lying on her back, looking up at a man with bright red- orange hair, who Mia recognized.  
  
"That's the same man that attacked me!" Mia realized.  
  
"How very astute of you," Topaz retorted.  
  
"Somebody help me!" Rini shouted as Topaz reached for her.  
  
"We're coming, Rini!" Artemis shouted as he and Luna ran towards Topaz.  
  
"Oh, no! A pair of cats! They're probably going to scratch my eyes out!" Topaz gasped mockingly with a sarcastic laugh.  
  
As the cats jumped on Topaz, Mia called out, "White Blaze! Come quick!"  
  
"How pathetic!" Topaz retorted as he knocked both Luna and Artemis off of him with his arm.  
  
"Luna! Artemis! No!" Rini cried out as she watched the two cats hit the ground while clutching her Luna Ball tightly in her arms.  
  
"Now, for you, Small Lady!" Topaz announced as he reached for Rini once again. Before he could grab Rini, Topaz was startled to hear a loud roar coming from behind him. He started to turn around, but was knocked to the ground as a large white tiger jumped on his back.  
  
"Yay, White Blaze!" Rini cheered happily as she stood up.  
  
"Come on, Rini! We better leave now!" Mia shouted as she grabbed Rini's hand and started to run back towards the kitchen door.  
  
"Wait, Mia! We gotta get Luna and Artemis first!" Rini shouted as she broke free from Mia's hold and ran back to where the injured cats were still lying.  
  
"Rini, go now! Leave us!" Luna muttered out loud as she slowly lifted her head.  
  
"No, Luna! I can't leave you two here!" Rini protested.  
  
"You have to, Rini! If Topaz gets you, all hope for the future will be lost!" Artemis barely got out. Before Rini could say anything, a roar from White Blaze caused her to look up. Topaz had managed to turn around on his back, but Ryo's white tiger still had him pinned to the ground.  
  
"Get off of me, you stupid beast!" Topaz shouted as the black crescent moon on his forehead started to glow with an eerie light. Suddenly, a beam of black energy shot out from the black crescent moon on Topaz's forehead and struck White Blaze hard in the stomach, knocking the huge white tiger out cold.  
  
"White Blaze!" Rini cried out.  
  
"You should know by now, Small Lady: Nothing can protect you from the Dark Moon family!" Topaz boasted as he reached for Rini once again. Rini let out a high-pitched scream when Topaz grabbed her arm. Instantly, a golden crescent moon appeared on Rini's forehead and released a bright flash of yellow light.  
  
"Ahh! My eyes!" Topaz shouted as he shielded his eyes with his arm, letting go of Rini in the process.  
  
"How did you...How did you do that, Rini?" Mia asked out of shock.  
  
"I'll explain later, Mia. We gotta go now!" Rini announced as she turned around. Mia gasped when she saw Topaz creeping up from behind the little girl.  
  
"Rini, look out!" Mia shouted. Rini started to turn her head, but it was too late. The pink pigtailed girl fell to the ground from Topaz's blow.  
  
"No, Rini!" Mia shouted as she helplessly watched Topaz scoop up the unconscious girl in his arms.  
  
"Small Lady is coming back to Crystal Tokyo with us, and there's nothing you or your friends can do about it!" Topaz boasted with a sinister laugh.  
  
Suddenly, Topaz heard a low roar from behind him. He turned around and saw White Blaze getting up. "You won't be able to save her, beast, so you might as well give up!" Topaz muttered out loud.  
  
"Please hurry, White Blaze!" Mia pleaded as White Blaze leapt towards Topaz. Before the white tiger could reach him, Topaz teleported away, taking Rini along with him.  
  
"Oh, no!" Mia gasped. She heard some slight moans and looked down at Luna and Artemis, who were struggling to stand up. "Luna! Artemis! Topaz took Rini! I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's okay, Mia. Don't blame yourself," Artemis whispered.  
  
"Don't worry, Mia. The Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors will find Rini and save her from Amethyst and Topaz," Luna reassured Mia...  
  
In the meantime, while Topaz was heading down to Earth to capture Rini, the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors had just arrived on board of the spaceship, engulfed in a bright white light.  
  
"Whoa! What a trip!" Kento confessed as the white light faded away.  
  
"That Sailor Planet Power was incredible!" Cye admitted.  
  
"And it did its job. Look over there," Rowen announced, pointing at a large window next to them. "We're on board of the Dark Moon ship, just as the Sailor Scouts promised us."  
  
"Oh, no! Guys, we got a problem!" Ryo revealed. Rowen, Sage, Cye, and Kento turned around and gasped loudly at the sight around them. All five Sailor Scouts had collapsed in a circle around them.  
  
"I guess Luna was right. Using their powers to teleport the five of us with them had drained all of them of their energy," Rowen theorized as he, Ryo, Sage, Cye, and Kento knelt down next to the five girls.  
  
"Sailor Moon, can you hear me?" Rowen asked as he gently lifted Sailor Moon's head.  
  
"Come on, Sailor Mars! Wake up!" Ryo pleaded as he held Sailor Mars up in a sitting position.  
  
"Get up, Sailor Jupiter! Don't tell me you suffered through a sprained ankle for this?" Sage asked a bit sarcastically.  
  
"Come on, Sailor Venus! You're stronger than this!" Kento shouted.  
  
"Sailor Mercury, please wake up," Cye whispered.  
  
Suddenly, Rowen was a bit startled to hear a small moan coming from Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon? Are you all right?" Rowen asked as Sailor Moon slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Sailor Moon mumbled weakly as she held her head, while Rowen got her up in a sitting position. "What about the other Scouts?"  
  
"They're just fine, Sailor Moon. They passed out, too, but they're starting to come around," Ryo explained as the four Sailor Scouts slowly came to.  
  
"Did anyone get the license off the truck that hit us?" Sailor Jupiter muttered out loud. Sage chuckled a bit as he helped Sailor Jupiter stand up.  
  
"I can't believe it! We made it, Scouts!" Sailor Mercury admitted proudly as she pointed at the window showing the planet Earth below them.  
  
"We sure did. But what do we do now?" Sailor Mars asked.  
  
"We find Amethyst and Topaz before they leave for Crystal Tokyo," Ryo replied.  
  
"Yeah, and we'll send them both back into the slimy hole they crawled out of!" Kento boasted.  
  
"I'd like to see you try, Kento of Hardrock!" a familiar voice retorted.  
  
"It's Amethyst!" Sailor Venus gasped.  
  
"Yeah, but where is she?" Cye asked as he looked around.  
  
"There she is!" Ryo announced as he pointed at Amethyst standing right in front of him and Sailor Mars.  
  
"Then why do I see her over here?" Sailor Jupiter asked as she pointed at a second Amethyst standing in front of her and Sage.  
  
"There's five of them!" Rowen realized when he noticed three other images of Amethyst: one in front of him and Sailor Moon, a second image by Cye and Sailor Mercury, and a third image by Kento and Sailor Venus.  
  
"It's just a hologram. All five of them are holograms," Sailor Mercury realized.  
  
"Then where's the real Amethyst, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked.  
  
"That's something you'll never find out!" Amethyst announced, her voice echoing from all five holograms. "You're all fools for coming up here. You cannot stop us now!"  
  
"Listen up, Amethyst! We've been up against worst odds than you!" Sage shouted.  
  
"Yeah! You and your brother are going down for good!" Kento added boastfully.  
  
"Pretty confident, aren't you?" Amethyst asked sarcastically. "It seems that you were confident enough to leave Small Lady back on Earth unprotected."  
  
"No way! You have Rini?" Sailor Moon asked a bit worriedly.  
  
"Did you seriously think that a mortal girl and a pet tiger could stop us from taking her?" Amethyst remarked sinisterly with a quick laugh.  
  
"Don't worry, Sailor Moon. We'll get Rini back from those Dark Moon creeps," Rowen assured Sailor Moon.  
  
The five holograms of Amethyst all chuckled evilly. "I'm afraid you'll never get the chance!"  
  
Suddenly, a trap door opened up underneath Rowen and Sailor Moon. The two heroes screamed as they plummeted down a long dark tunnel, with the trap door closing up behind them.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars shouted.  
  
"Rowen!" Ryo shouted.  
  
"Don't worry so much about your friends. You'll soon be meeting their fate!" Amethyst announced. Instantly, four more trap doors opened up underneath the remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts. Ryo and Sailor Mars were the first to fall down the pitch-black tunnel, followed by Cye and Sailor Mercury, Sage and Sailor Jupiter, and Kento and Sailor Venus.  
  
Unknown to the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, Amethyst was watching all of the events unfold in the control room on the large monitor. "Those fools have no idea what's in store for them, but they shall soon see," Amethyst muttered to herself with a sinister chuckle. At that very moment, Topaz teleported into the control room, carrying an unconscious Rini.  
  
"Amethyst, I'm back, and I have brought Small Lady with me," Topaz announced.  
  
Amethyst turned around and a small smirk formed on her face when she saw the little pink-pigtailed girl in her brother's arms. "Excellent job, Topaz. Put her in there," Amethyst instructed, pointing at a large metal cage in the back of the room.  
  
"At once, Amethyst," Topaz agreed as he turned around and approached the cage. After placing Rini inside and locking the door, Topaz rejoined his sister, who had just pressed a button on the control panel. The main screen instantly divided into five smaller screens.  
  
"So, how goes our little infestation problem?" Topaz asked.  
  
"The little pests are about to be separated," Amethyst retorted with a sinister laugh...  
  
"AHH!" Sailor Moon screamed loudly as she continued falling down the seemingly never-ending tunnel. The tunnel was so dark that she couldn't even see Rowen anymore. All of a sudden, Sailor Moon dropped in a small room.  
  
"Oh..." Sailor Moon groaned out of pain as she rubbed the side of her thigh, which got bruised from the fall. "Oh, no! There's no way out!" Sailor Moon whimpered nervously as she looked around at the four stone gray walls surrounding her. She looked up at the hole that she fell from in the ceiling.  
  
"It's too high to reach. Rowen, are you up there?" Sailor Moon shouted, her voice echoing off the walls of the room.  
  
Sailor Moon stayed completely quiet, hoping to hear a response from someone. A few seconds later, she heard a faint yell coming from the tunnel, which was getting closer by the second. Suddenly, a figure in sub- armor fell from the opening in the ceiling and hit the floor, nearly landing on top of Sailor Moon.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked curiously as she approached the figure. She gasped slightly when she recognized the Ronin Warrior. "Ryo? How did you end up here?"  
  
"I wish I knew, Sailor Moon," Ryo muttered out loud as he slowly stood up. "Where are the others?"  
  
"I don't know, Ryo," Sailor Moon reluctantly admitted. "I haven't seen anyone else since Rowen and I fell through that trap door, besides you, that is."  
  
"Those Dark Moon guys are up to something, Sailor Moon," Ryo revealed. "They separated us for a reason."  
  
"Yeah, but what?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"I'm sure we'll soon find out, Sailor Moon. But, for now, let's try to find a way out of here," Ryo suggested as he approached one of the walls and started to rap his knuckles against it.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.  
  
"Checking for a secret passage. How about you try checking that wall?" Ryo suggested, pointing at the wall to his left.  
  
"All right, Ryo," Sailor Moon agreed as she approached the wall and started to rap her fist against it...  
  
"Just a little higher, Cye," Sailor Jupiter instructed. She was stuck in a room much like the one that Ryo and Sailor Moon were trapped in with Cye. Sailor Jupiter was standing on top of Cye's shoulders, trying to reach for the opening in the ceiling that they fell out of.  
  
"You got it, Sailor Jupiter," Cye muttered through clenched teeth as he grabbed Sailor Jupiter by her feet and slowly lifted her higher towards the dark hole in the ceiling.  
  
"Almost there..." Sailor Jupiter muttered out loud through clenched teeth as she stretched her arm out as far as she could in an attempt to reach the edge of the tunnel.  
  
As Cye stepped forward, he didn't notice the small puddle in front of him. "Ahh!" Cye shouted as he slipped in the puddle and fell backwards. Realizing that Cye was falling, Sailor Jupiter made a desperate leap towards the opening, but missed by an inch.  
  
"I got you, Sailor Jupiter!" Cye shouted as he quickly got up to catch Sailor Jupiter. Unfortunately for him, Cye ended up on his back again with Sailor Jupiter landing right on top of him.  
  
"Sorry about that, Cye," Sailor Jupiter apologized as she got off of Cye. "Thanks for breaking my fall, though."  
  
"No problem," Cye groaned a bit as he stood up with help from Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"You feel like trying again, Cye?" Sailor Jupiter asked. "I almost made it that time."  
  
"Sure, Sailor Jupiter. We got nothing else to lose," Cye replied...  
  
"Look at them, Topaz! They're like rats trapped in a maze!" Amethyst snickered sinisterly as she and Topaz watched the five screens, each one containing a Ronin Warrior and Sailor Scout.  
  
One screen showed Ryo and Sailor Moon tapping against the walls, trying to find a way out. Another screen revealed Cye lifting Sailor Jupiter up towards the opening in the ceiling. In the third screen, Sage was against the wall, using his hands to lift Sailor Venus to the tunnel opening. In the fourth screen, Kento was repeatedly punching and kicking one of the walls, while Sailor Mars stood by and watched in disbelief. In the last screen, Rowen and Sailor Mercury were carefully examining the walls for any concealed doors. Amethyst and Topaz were so concentrated on the surveillance monitors, they didn't notice that Rini was now wide awake.  
  
_Oh, no! My friends are in trouble!_ Rini thought to herself. She gasped slightly when she saw Topaz starting to turn his head around. Rini quickly laid back down in the cage and closed her eyes, pretending to be unconscious. Topaz looked over at the cage and found Rini still lying on the floor unconscious. Satisfied that she was still out cold, Topaz returned his attention back to the surveillance monitors. Rini decided to keep one eye slightly open, so she could still see what was going on.  
  
"So, what now, Amethyst? Do we put them out of their misery now, or let them suffer a little more?" Topaz asked sinisterly.  
  
"I think it's time to let in the exterminators!" Amethyst announced as she snapped her fingers.  
  
Instantly, the door behind Amethyst and Topaz slid open and five small balls of different colored light floated into the room. The two remaining members of the Dark Moon family turned around as the balls of light transformed into five figures. Rini almost gasped out loud, but quickly covered her mouth.  
  
"It's those creatures from the Celestial Stones! But the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors destroyed them!"  
  
"Is it time, Lady Amethyst and Lord Topaz?" Flarea asked curiously as the other four exchanged small smirks.  
  
"Indeed, it is, Flarea. You know what to do," Amethyst replied.  
  
"Of course," Flarea admitted as she and the others nodded in agreement.  
  
"Good. Now go!" Amethyst commanded. The five creatures nodded their heads before they once again transformed into balls of light and disappeared from the room without a trace.  
  
"Now, the real fun begins!" Amethyst remarked sinisterly. She and her brother snickered evilly as they watched the surveillance monitors in anticipation...TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. The Journey Home

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE

Part Eight: The Journey Home

"What are we going to do, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked a bit worriedly. "Those Dark Moon people got Rini and we're stuck in here with no way out!" To her surprise, Ryo didn't answer her at all. He was staring up at the tunnel in the ceiling.

"Ryo? RYO!" Sailor Moon shouted loudly, snapping Ryo back to reality.

"I'm sorry, Sailor Moon," Ryo apologized.

"What are you looking at, anyway, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.

"I thought I heard something," Ryo explained as his blue eyes once again looked up at the tunnel. Sailor Moon stayed quiet as she looked at the tunnel as well. She gasped slightly when she heard a soft metallic clang echoing off the walls of the tunnel.

"Do you think it might be one of the Ronin Warriors or the Sailor Scouts?" Sailor Moon whispered a bit excitedly.

"I can't say for sure," Ryo whispered. "Listen! Whatever it is, it's coming closer!" The noise from the tunnel was indeed getting louder and closer to the two warriors.

"Get out of the way!" Ryo shouted, pushing Sailor Moon out of the way as a figure fell from the tunnel and landed on the floor.

From looking at her, Ryo and Sailor Moon knew that she had to be one of the creatures from the Celestial Stones, due to her pale white skin and unusual colored eyes. They also noticed that she was different from the ones that they have faced before. The creature standing before them was wearing an orange camouflage shirt, baggy brown cargo pants, and dark brown combat boots, and had short curly orange hair.

"You're Petrofina, the creature from the Earth Stone!" Ryo realized.

"That's correct, Ryo of Wildfire!" Petrofina admitted sinisterly as she looked up at Ryo and Sailor Moon with her gleaming orange eyes.

"Uh-oh!" Sailor Moon gasped loudly.

"Relax, Sailor Moon. We can take her," Ryo told the Sailor Scouts' leader.

"Are you sure about that?" Petrofina retorted sarcastically.

"Run while you still can, Petrofina...or face your death!" Ryo shouted. "Armor of Wildfire! DAO JIN!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Petrofina gasped mockingly as Ryo withdrew his katanas.

"You should be, Petrofina," Ryo announced.

"We'll see about that!" Petrofina remarked as she stood up and charged towards Ryo and Sailor Moon.

"Look out!" Ryo shouted as he and Sailor Moon barely avoided Petrofina's fists, which left large indentations in the walls...

"This totally stinks!" Kento groaned loudly out of frustration as he slammed his fists against the wall.

"Take it easy, Kento. Beating up against the wall isn't going to get us out of here any quicker," Sailor Mars pointed out.

"Then what are we supposed to do, Sailor Mars?" Kento asked sarcastically.

"Sailor Venus was right about you. You're hot-headed and have a short fuse to match!" Sailor Mars remarked.

"What do you mean by that?" Kento asked loudly as he turned around to face Sailor Mars. Before Sailor Mars could say anything, the two warriors were startled to hear a rumbling noise coming from the hole in the ceiling that they fell out of.

"What was that?" Sailor Mars asked curiously.

"Sounds like we're about to find out!" Kento remarked, the sound obviously getting closer to them.

Suddenly, to their surprise, a pale figure dropped out of the hole and landed silently on the ground. She was wearing a sleeveless green dress with a jaggedly torn skirt and dark green high-heeled boots, and her long neon green hair stood on end, as though she had been electrocuted. The creature lifted her head and looked up at Kento and Sailor Mars with her green eyes, which sparked with electricity.

"That must be Electra, the creature that Sage and Sailor Jupiter fought!" Sailor Mars exclaimed. "But I thought they destroyed her!"

"Obviously not!" Kento retorted. "Relax, Sailor Mars! We'll finish what they started!"

"Try if you wish, little man, but you'll do no better than your friends!" Electra remarked sinisterly.

"Little man? Why, I oughta..." Kento grumbled angrily as he clenched his fists tightly. "Armor of Hardrock! DAO GI!"

"Oh, no! Is the big, strong Ronin Warrior of Strength gonna finish me off?" Electra gasped mockingly as Kento took out his naginata.

"You bet I will! You're going down, Electra!" Kento boasted.

"So, Kento of Hardrock, you wanna play hardball, is that it?" Electra asked sarcastically as a large ball of electricity formed in her hand. "Well, then, let's play!"

"Uh-oh!" Kento gasped as Electra threw the ball of electricity at him and Sailor Mars. They quickly dove out of the way as the ball of electricity reflected off of the metal wall...

"I don't know about you, Topaz, but I am truly enjoying this!" Amethyst confessed with a small smirk.

"So am I, Amethyst, so am I," Topaz agreed with a sinister chuckle. They both had their eyes fixed on the surveillance monitors. "This was a brilliant plan of yours, Amethyst. First, separating the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, then facing them against one of our creatures from the Celestial Stones that they are not even the slightest bit familiar with."

"After seeing what had happened earlier with the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, I felt it best not to repeat the same mistake. Separating them by their common elemental link will eventually lead them to their downfall!" Amethyst stated darkly.

"Oh, no!" Rini whispered worriedly as she watched the surveillance monitors as well, which showed all the Ronin Warriors in their full armor. One screen showed Ryo and Sailor Moon barely avoiding another blow from Petrofina. A second screen revealed Cye using his armor's shield of light to protect himself and Sailor Jupiter from Astronema's attack. In the third screen, Sage and Sailor Venus were pinned against the wall by two columns of water, which were being controlled by Seadra. In the fourth screen, Electra's electric whip nearly electrocuted Kento and Sailor Mars. In the last screen, Rowen used his armor to protect Sailor Mercury from the blast of fire that Flarea aimed at them, getting his dark blue armor singed in the process.

_There's gotta be something I can do!_ Rini thought to herself.

Suddenly, to her surprise, Rini noticed a familiar dark gray ball shaped like a cat's head float into the room. "Luna P! Over here!" Rini whispered a bit excitedly. As her Luna Ball hovered towards the cage, Rini recalled that she was still holding her Luna Ball before Topaz knocked her unconscious outside Mia's house.

"Luna P, try picking the lock, okay?" Rini requested. The Luna Ball seemed to understand as the gold ball on the tip of its antenna shrunk down to the size of a pebble.

"That's it, Luna P," Rini whispered as her Luna Ball stuck the tip of its antenna into the keyhole of the cage and started manipulating it around. Rini nearly gasped out loud when she heard a small click and the door swung open slightly.

"Nice job, Luna P," Rini whispered as she crawled out of the cage and stood up. She grabbed her Luna Ball and quickly tiptoed out of the room.

"Topaz, go wake up Small Lady," Amethyst instructed Topaz. "I want her to see what will happen to her friends and anyone else who stands in the way of the Dark Moon family!"

"Certainly, Amethyst," Topaz agreed with a nod as he turned around. He gasped slightly when he saw the empty cage with its door wide open. "Uhh...Amethyst, we have a problem."

"What is it?" Amethyst asked curiously.

"Small Lady has somehow escaped!" Topaz reluctantly revealed.

"WHAT?" Amethyst shouted angrily as she turned around and saw the empty cage as well. "How did this happen, Topaz?"

"I don't know, Ameth..." Topaz started to reply.

"Never mind that!" Amethyst snapped angrily. "We have to find her right away!"

"Why should we bother? She's just a little girl, Amethyst," Topaz reminded his sister as they ran out of the room into a long hallway.

"True, but that little girl has special powers of her own, or did you forget about what happened to you earlier, Topaz?" Amethyst inquired as she looked at Topaz, who had a stunned look on his face. "I did see what happened on Earth when you captured Small Lady, Topaz, courtesy of your crystal ball. Come now! We wasted enough time talking!" Amethyst and Topaz ran out of the room and headed down the hallway in opposite directions.

As the two Dark Moon siblings disappeared down the hall, they didn't notice a door that was opposite of the control room open slightly. Rini popped her head out and looked around for any sign of Amethyst and Topaz. Finding the hall completely deserted, Rini quickly ran back into the control room, along with her Luna Ball.

"Good thing they didn't look in there," Rini muttered out loud as she ran over to the surveillance monitors. "Sailor Moon, can you hear me?" Rini shouted, hoping that Sailor Moon would somehow be able to hear her. Unfortunately, the leader of the Sailor Scouts showed no indication that she heard Rini at all. Rini then looked down at the control panel filled with several buttons and small switches.

"I wonder if any of these buttons can help my friends," Rini wondered aloud as she hesitantly pressed a red button. She looked up at the monitors and was surprised to see the tunnels in the ceilings suddenly close up.

"Great! Not there's no way we'll get outta here!" Kento complained loudly as he used his naginata to block Electra's electric whip.

"Oops!" Rini gasped as she once again looked down at the control panel. "That didn't work! Maybe this one..." Rini quickly flipped a gray switch near the top of the control panel.

"Ryo, look! Something's happening to the wall!" Sailor Moon announced.

Ryo turned around and saw that part of the wall was moving, revealing a dark tunnel. "That's our way out! Let's move!" Ryo shouted as he and Sailor Moon ran for the tunnel.

"Where do you think you two are going? We're not finished here!" Petrofina shouted angrily as she chased after the leaders of the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts.

"Yay! It worked!" Rini cheered happily. She looked up at the screen and quickly realized that the other Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts were still trapped with Electra, Flarea, Seadra, and Astronema. After looking over the control panel once again, Rini realized that there was a row of five identical gray switches near the top of the control panel; including the one she just flipped that freed Ryo and Sailor Moon.

"This oughta do it!" Rini muttered thoughtfully to herself as she flipped the remaining gray switches. She crossed her fingers in hope that her plan would work, with her Luna Ball by her side.

"Yes!" Rini cheered loudly when she saw tunnels opening in the other four rooms as well.

"What's this?" Seadra gasped as the section of the wall that she had Sage and Sailor Venus pinned against moved back, revealing another dark tunnel.

"AHH!" Sage and Sailor Venus screamed simultaneously as they disappeared into the dark tunnel due to the force from the columns of water controlled by the creature from the Celestial Stone of Water.

"What are Amethyst and Topaz up to now?" Seadra muttered suspiciously to herself as she ran into the tunnel to find Sage and Sailor Venus...

"Come on, Kento!" Sailor Mars shouted when she saw the tunnel open up in the wall behind her.

"No way, Sailor Mars! I almost got her beat!" Kento complained, who was still fighting the creature from the Spirit Stone. Electra quickly flung her electric whip at Kento, getting the whip entangled around Kento's naginata.

"Hey! Let go!" Kento shouted as he tried to pry his weapon free.

"Who's got who beat, Kento of Hardrock?" Electra asked sinisterly.

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Sailor Mars shouted. Electra quickly dove out of the way of the fiery rings flying at her, letting go of Kento's naginata in the process.

"Save it for later, Kento! We gotta find Rini!" Sailor Mars shouted.

"Okay..." Kento grumbled under his breath as he followed Sailor Mars into the tunnel...

"JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!" Sailor Jupiter shouted.

"Is that your best shot?" Astronema retorted as she easily avoided the large ball of lightning that Sailor Jupiter threw at her.

"Huh?" Cye gasped when he heard a sudden noise coming from behind him. He turned around and noticed that the wall was moving, revealing a dark tunnel. "Sailor Jupiter! Now's our chance to escape!"

"I won't allow it!" Astronema shouted as she charged at Cye and Sailor Jupiter.

"Oh, yeah? Try this on for size!" Cye shouted as he aimed his trident at the advancing Astronema. "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"

"Ahh!" Astronema screamed as she was pinned against the wall by Cye's attack.

"Sailor Jupiter, you make a run for it! I'll catch up with you!" Cye shouted.

"But, Cye..." Sailor Jupiter started to protest.

"There's no time to argue, Sailor Jupiter. I can restrain Astronema for only so long. Besides, we need to find our friends and rescue Rini," Cye interrupted.

"All right, Cye," Sailor Jupiter reluctantly agreed as she ran into the dark tunnel. Once Cye's attack ended, he quickly ran into the tunnel after Sailor Jupiter. Astronema coughed up some water as she slowly stood up.

"You will pay for this!" Astronema shouted angrily as she quickly flew into the dark tunnel after Cye and Sailor Jupiter...

"Let's see if I can get my point across!" Rowen shouted as he fired one of his arrows at Flarea.

"Nice try, Rowen of Strata," Flarea remarked sinisterly as she flung a small ball of fire at the arrow, burning it into a small pile of ashes. "Now it's my turn!" Flarea smirked evilly as she formed an arrow made of fire in her hands and threw it at Rowen and Sailor Mercury.

"Look out!" Rowen shouted as he pushed Sailor Mercury down to the floor, barely avoiding the fiery arrow.

"Hey, Rowen, look!" Sailor Mercury announced as she pointed at the wall behind them. Rowen looked up and saw the wall moving, revealing a dark tunnel.

"That could be a way out," Rowen muttered thoughtfully as he and Sailor Mercury stood up. "Then again, it could be leading us into another trap!"

"Well, that's just a risk we'll have to take, Rowen," Sailor Mercury replied.

"Too bad you won't live to find out!" Flarea shouted as she started to form a massive fireball in her hands.

"Not this time, Flarea! SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" Sailor Mercury shouted.

"Ahh!" Flarea shouted as she became enveloped in a thick blanket of ice, freezing her in place.

"That should hold her...for now," Sailor Mercury muttered out loud.

"Well, then, let's get moving," Rowen suggested.

"Right," Sailor Mercury agreed as she followed Rowen into the dark tunnel.

Just moments after they left, Flarea managed to break free from her frozen prison. "You won't get away from me that easy!" Flarea shouted furiously as she flew into the dark tunnel, encased in a fiery glow...

"I hope they can beat those mean creatures from the Celestial Stones, and Amethyst and Topaz, Luna P," Rini muttered out loud as her Luna Ball floated next to her.

"So, there you are!" a familiar voice announced. Rini turned around and gasped when she saw Topaz standing in the doorway.

I don't know how you managed to escape, Small Lady, but you won't get away a second time. Now, why don't you be a good girl and get back in the cage?" Topaz ordered.

"No way, Topaz! I'm not gonna listen to you!" Rini shouted.

"We'll just see about that, you little brat!" Topaz muttered sinisterly as he stepped into the room. Rini leaned against the control panel in fear as Topaz came closer to her.

Before he could grab the little pink-haired girl, Topaz's eyes briefly glanced up at the surveillance monitor. "What the...?" Topaz gasped when he saw that all five rooms in the surveillance monitor were completely empty.

"I don't believe this! How could this have happened?" Topaz exclaimed out of shock as he pressed some buttons on the control panel in an attempt to find the missing Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, not realizing that he just gave Rini an opportunity to escape.

"Who could have done this?" Topaz then realized that he had left Rini unattended. "Small Lady! She's gone...again!" Topaz complained loudly as he angrily slammed his fist down on the control panel.

"Topaz, what are you doing back in here?" Amethyst asked suspiciously as she entered the room.

"I'm afraid I have bad news, Amethyst. Somehow, Small Lady had set the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts free."

"What did you say?" Amethyst asked angrily as she joined her brother at the control panel.

"See for yourself, Amethyst," Topaz simply stated. Amethyst looked up at the surveillance monitor and gasped when she saw the same thing Topaz saw: five empty rooms with no sign of the Ronin Warriors, the Sailor Scouts, or the creatures from the Celestial Stones.

"We must find them right away, Topaz! They could ruin our plans to take over Crystal Tokyo!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"I'm on it, Amethyst. And while I'm at it, I'll search for Small Lady as well," Topaz replied as he sat down at the control panel and started typing away...

"Faster, Sailor Moon! I can see some light up ahead!" Ryo announced as he and Sailor Moon continued running down the dark tunnel.

"I'm going...as fast...as I can...Ryo!" Sailor Moon shouted as she panted heavily.

"It's not much further, Sailor Moon!" Ryo reassured Sailor Moon when he realized that the light was getting closer and brighter. A few minutes later, Ryo and Sailor found themselves in a large hallway with four separate smaller tunnels, identical to the one they just left, connected to the main hallway.

"Which way now, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked curiously as Ryo looked around the unfamiliar area. "Petrofina's gonna catch up to us any minute now!"

"I know that, Sailor Moon, but I...huh?" Ryo gasped slightly. "What is it, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.

"I hear footsteps coming," Ryo whispered as he cautioned Sailor Moon to be quiet.

Sailor Moon could clearly hear several footsteps coming towards her and Ryo from the four other dark tunnels. She started to become nervous as the footsteps grew closer, not knowing who or what was coming. Sailor Moon let out a loud sigh of relief when Sailor Venus and Sage emerged from one of the dark tunnels.

"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon exclaimed happily.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Venus gasped out of relief.

"Hey, Sage!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Ryo?" Sage gasped out loud.

Just then, the three remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts emerged from the other dark tunnels. "Is everyone all right?" Sailor Mercury asked as she looked around at her fellow Scouts.

"Just fine, Sailor Mercury," Sailor Jupiter replied, giving the blue-haired Sailor Scout a thumbs-up.

"Hate to interrupt this little reunion, but we got a bigger problem heading right for us," Ryo revealed.

"Let me guess. Another one of those Celestial Stone creatures, right?" Kento guessed.

"You definitely got that right!" Cye remarked under his breath.

"I got an idea, guys," Rowen announced. "Ryo, which one of those creatures was sent after you and Sailor Moon?"

"It's Petrofina," Ryo replied as Sailor Moon nodded her head in agreement.

"All right, then. Kento, Sailor Venus, cover this tunnel," Rowen instructed.

"All right! It's party time!" Kento cheered as he and Sailor Venus stood at the tunnel's opening.

"Ryo, Sailor Mars, you two cover this tunnel. Flarea will be coming out of there any minute," Rowen instructed, pointing at the hallway that he and Sailor Mercury ran out of earlier.

"Gotcha, Rowen," Ryo agreed as he and Sailor Mars approached the tunnel that Rowen was pointing at.

"Astronema's in this tunnel," Cye revealed.

"Electra's down that way," Kento announced.

"And Seadra's down this tunnel," Sage added.

"All right, everyone. Take your positions," Rowen announced as he approached the tunnel that Cye pointed at, followed by Sailor Moon, while Sage and Sailor Jupiter stood at the tunnel that Kento was pointing at, and Cye and Sailor Mercury approached the tunnel that Sage had briefly jerked his thumb at.

"So...what now, Rowen?" Kento asked a bit impatiently.

"Don't you see, Kento? Amethyst and Topaz separated us all for a reason," Rowen explained. "It was our elemental link that allowed us to defeat those monsters. That's why Ryo and Sailor Mars could defeat Flarea, and why you and Sailor Venus could defeat Petrofina."

"That makes perfect sense, Rowen," Sailor Mercury agreed.

"Get ready, guys! Here they come!" Ryo announced when he spotted a fiery red glow coming through the tunnel fast.

"I've got you now!" Flarea shouted angrily as she reached the end of the tunnel. To her complete surprise, instead of running into Rowen of Strata and Sailor Mercury, she was face-to-face with Ryo of Wildfire and Sailor Mars. "Uh-oh!" Flarea gasped as she quickly stopped herself.

"You got that right, Flarea!" Ryo shouted as he brought his twin katanas together. "FLARE UP NOW!"

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Sailor Mars shouted.

"AHH!" Flarea screamed loudly as the two attacks struck her simultaneously. Her body soon turned completely into gray ashes and fell into a pile on the floor.

"That one's definitely toast!" Kento remarked.

"Heads up, Kento! The others will be here shortly, so be ready!" Cye announced as he readied his trident. Within moments, Seadra, Petrofina, Astronema, and Electra flew into the main hallway.

"We've got trouble!" Astronema shouted when she noticed that not only did all the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts manage to escape, but also it was obvious that the ten heroes were waiting for them.

"Oh, dear!" Seadra gasped.

"Looks like the gang's back together again!" Electra remarked.

"What's the matter? You scared of us now?" Kento taunted sarcastically.

"We're not afraid of you pathetic Ronins or you pesky Sailor Failures!" Petrofina remarked as she, Electra, Seadra, and Astronema charged at the ten heroes.

"Now, guys!" Ryo announced.

"You got it, Ryo! THUNDER BOLT CUT!" Sage shouted.

"JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!" Sailor Jupiter shouted.

"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye shouted.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" Sailor Mercury shouted.

"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" Kento shouted.

"VENUS LOVE-CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" Sailor Venus shouted.

"ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" Rowen shouted.

"MOON SCEPTER ELIMINATION!" Sailor Moon shouted.

All four creatures let out pain-filled screams as the numerous attacks from the Ronin Warriors and the Sailor Scouts struck them simultaneously. One by one, the remaining creatures from the Celestial Stones disintegrated into dust.

"All right! They're gone for good!" Kento exclaimed as he and Cye exchanged high-fives.

"Don't be so confidant yet, Kento. If Amethyst and Topaz brought them back once, they can most certainly do it again," Rowen interrupted.

"Those Celestial Stones, they have to be the key in all this," Sailor Mercury mused thoughtfully.

"You're probably right about that, Sailor Mercury," Cye agreed.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Kento asked.

"Isn't it obvious, Kento? We have to destroy the Celestial Stones!" Sailor Venus announced.

"Sailor Venus is right, guys," Rowen agreed. "With the destruction of the Celestial Stones, those creatures cannot be resurrected again, and Amethyst and Topaz won't be able to use their devastating powers to take over Crystal Tokyo in the future."

"Good idea, but first, we have to find the Celestial Stones," Sage pointed out. "They could be anywhere on this ship."

Just then, the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts were startled to hear faint footsteps approaching them.

"Who could that be? Don't tell those creatures from the Celestial Stones got resurrected this quickly!" Cye gasped out loud.

"That could be a possibility, Cye," Sailor Mercury reluctantly replied. "Or maybe it's Amethyst and Topaz?" Sailor Jupiter suggested.

"We're soon going to find out!" Ryo whispered when a formless shadow appeared on the wall next to them, coming from a bend in the main hallway. As the shadow slowly came closer, it took on a more distinct form, turning into the silhouette of a young pig-tailed girl and a floating ball with large pointed ears and a drooping antenna.

"No way! Could that be...?" Sailor Venus started to ask.

"It is!" Sailor Moon exclaimed happily. "Rini! Over here!"

At that moment, Rini turned the corner, along with her floating Luna Ball, and found herself facing the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts.

"Sailor Moon!" Rini exclaimed happily with tears brimming in her eyes as she ran towards the leader of the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon knelt down on one knee and embraced Rini when she ran into her open arms.

"Oh, Sailor Moon! I thought I was never gonna see you again!" Rini whimpered out loud as she freely bawled her eyes out.

"Hey, it's okay, Rini. We're here now. Nothing bad is going to happen to you," Sailor Moon whispered reassuringly as she wiped away the tears still lingering on Rini's cheeks.

"Now that we found Rini, all we have to do now is to find those Celestial Stones and destroy them so they can never be used for evil again," Sailor Mars announced.

"Rini, do you know where we can find the Celestial Stones?" Rowen asked curiously.

"No, I haven't seen them since Topaz brought me up here," Rini reluctantly admitted.

"Wait a second! I've got an idea on how we can find the Celestial Stones!" Sailor Mercury announced.

"How, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked curiously.

"Sailor Venus, do you still have that pocket tracer that Rini gave us?" Sailor Mercury inquired.

"Yeah, I think so. Here it is," Sailor Venus replied as she handed the thin pink pocket tracer over to Sailor Mercury.

"Oh, I get it," Rowen realized as Sailor Mercury opened the pocket tracer and started pressing some buttons. "Since that tracer was originally programmed to track down the Celestial Stones in the first place, we can use it to find them aboard the ship."

"Exactly, Rowen," Sailor Mercury revealed as she looked down at the tracer's screen. "I'm picking up a signal, guys. According to the tracer, the Celestial Stones are in that direction." Sailor Mercury pointed down the same corridor that Rini and her Luna Ball came walking down just moments earlier.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kento asked a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah, let's move!" Ryo shouted as he headed down the large hallway, followed by Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Moon, and Rini...

"Amethyst, I've found them!" Topaz announced.

Amethyst looked up at the surveillance monitor and could see all of the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts running down one of the several halls on the ship, along with Rini and her floating Luna Ball.

"Can you find out their precise location aboard the ship, Topaz?" Amethyst inquired.

"Of course," Topaz admitted as he flipped a couple of white switches on the control panel. Almost instantly, a map of the ship appeared on the surveillance monitor, replacing the image of the ten heroes and Rini.

"That's them on the map," Topaz explained as he pointed at a flashing red dot on the map that was continually moving across the screen at a slow pace.

"So...where are they, Topaz?" Amethyst asked a bit impatiently.

"Just give me a minute..." Topaz muttered out loud as he slowly traced the path that the red dot was following with his finger. He gasped out loud when he realized where the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts would eventually end up.

"What's wrong now, Topaz?" Amethyst prodded.

"Unless I'm wrong about this, Amethyst, the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts are heading towards the main engine room," Topaz reluctantly revealed.

"The main engine room? That's where we keep the Celestial Stones. Those annoying pests will destroy them, ruining our plans to conquer Crystal Tokyo once and for all!" Amethyst shouted angrily.

"I'm well aware of this, Amethyst. If we hurry, we can cut them off before that happens," Topaz explained as he quickly got out of his seat.

"We've accomplished so much this past year, Topaz, so we could finally fulfill our promise to our dearly departed brothers, Diamond, Sapphire, and Rubeus, and our sister, Emerald. We cannot allow our enemies to win this fight!" Amethyst stated coldly as she angrily slammed her clenched fist against the control panel. "We must stop them at all costs!"

"Well, then, we better get moving before they reach the main engine room, Amethyst, or all of our plans for Crystal Tokyo will be ruined," Topaz suggested. Amethyst silently nodded in agreement as they ran out of the control room...

"Which way now, Sailor Mercury?" Rowen asked. The Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini had stopped at a section of the hallway, with several doors on either side. They were patiently waiting on Sailor Mercury, who was silently studying the tracer once again.

"The signal's getting much stronger. We're definitely getting closer to the location of the Celestial Stones," Sailor Mercury muttered thoughtfully. She looked up at the closest door, which was on the left side of the hallway. "Right through there! That's where we'll find the Celestial Stones!" Sailor Mercury announced.

Sage quickly approached the door and tried to open it, but to no avail. "Shoot! It's locked!" he complained as Ryo, Cye, Kento, Rowen, and the Sailor Scouts joined him.

"Relax, Sage! I got the key!" Kento remarked as he pulled his fist back and punched the door as hard as he could. As Kento moved his fist away from the door, there was a piercing groan coming from the door as it eventually fell backwards into the room, slamming on the floor with a loud crash.

"See, what did I tell ya?" Kento boasted as he entered the room, followed by Ryo, Sage, Cye, Rowen, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Moon.

"No wonder Kento's always boasting about being the Warrior of Strength," Sailor Venus muttered under her breath.

"What is this place?" Cye asked when he noticed the unusually large piece of machinery located in the center of the room; with large glowing deep violet crystals protruding out of it that almost touched the ceiling.

"This must be an engine room of some sort," Sailor Mercury theorized as she walked towards the machinery in the center of the room and examined the large crystals. "These crystals must provide power to the entire ship."

"Then, where are the Celestial Stones at, Sailor Mercury?" Rowen inquired.

"The signal's coming from...over there!" Sailor Mercury announced as she looked up at a wall on the left side of the room.

"Are you sure about that, Sailor Mercury?" Sage asked a bit skeptically. "That's a solid wall."

"That tracer gave us accurate readings so far, Sage, so why would it stop now?" Sailor Jupiter pointed out as Sailor Mercury approached the wall where the signal was strongest.

"What about the next room? Maybe that's why you're getting the signal through the wall," Ryo suggested.

"That could be a possibility," Sailor Mercury murmured thoughtfully.

"Ryo and I will go check the next room. We'll let you know if we find anything," Sailor Mars revealed as she and Ryo left the room.

"Hmm..." Sailor Mercury muttered thoughtfully to herself as she activated her visor.

"What are you doing, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked curiously as he watched Sailor Mercury carefully look over the wall with her blue visor.

"If my suspicions are correct, Cye, then there should...there is!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed loudly.

"There is what?" Sailor Moon asked curiously as she, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Sage, Kento, Cye, and Rowen turned around to see what Sailor Mercury was talking about.

"There appears to be a secret compartment right behind this wall," Sailor Mercury explained as she continued studying the secret door she managed to locate through her visor. "The Celestial Stones are being kept in there, I just know it. If only I can figure out how to open it." Upon further examination, Sailor Mercury noticed that a small square-shaped panel of the secret door was slightly different from the rest, but barely noticeable to the naked eye.

"I wonder if..." Sailor Mercury murmured thoughtfully as she raised her clenched fist and rapped her knuckles against the square-shaped section of the door once. When nothing happened, Sailor Mercury tried a second time, then a third time.

"Sailor Mercury, I think something's wrong with that tracer," Sailor Mars announced as she and Ryo reentered the engine room just as Sailor Mercury rapped her knuckles against the wall for the third time.

"Yeah, we couldn't find any...thing..." Ryo trailed off. He and Sailor Mars were surprised when a section of the wall that Sailor Mercury had rapped her knuckles against silently moved away, revealing a secret room.

"Wow! There was a secret room!" Rini gasped loudly.

"Yeah, but what's inside it?" Sailor Venus asked as Sailor Mercury touched her earring, causing her visor to disappear.

"I'll give you one guess," Kento muttered out loud as the ten heroes and Rini cautiously entered the secret room, which was basked in a soft pale white glow.

"Look! Over there!" Cye exclaimed as he pointed at a tall black cylinder- shaped stand in the center of the room. Ryo, Sage, Kento, Rowen, the Sailor Scouts, and Rini looked up and gasped when they recognized the five colorful glass orbs resting on top of the stand.

"The Celestial Stones!" Rini gasped out loud.

"Hey, what's that thing in the middle?" Sailor Moon asked curiously, pointing at an unusual looking jewel lying in the center of the cylinder- shaped stand. The Ronin Warriors gasped loudly when they recognized the large deep red curved tear-shaped jewel secured to a tied loop of light green cord with long frayed ends.

"The Jewel of Life? It can't be! How did it get up here?" Ryo exclaimed loudly out of shock.

"Jewel of Life?" Sailor Mars repeated.

"What's that?" Sailor Jupiter asked curiously.

"The Jewel of Life is said to be the heart of the nine armors that were created from Talpa's body, including our own," Sage explained. "The Jewel of Life also aided us in defeating Talpa for good."

"But, I don't understand how it even got up here in the first place," Rowen muttered thoughtfully. "Mia had the Jewel of Life locked up in her family safe at the house for safekeeping."

"Wait a minute! Mia said the last thing she remembered before ending up in the park was that a stranger came to her house, claiming that he had car trouble, right?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"Yeah, she did say that," Cye admitted.

"So, it's very likely that the stranger was none other than Topaz in disguise!" Sailor Mercury announced.

"That would explain how the Jewel of Life got up here," Ryo realized.

"And the Dark Moon people do have the power to turn ordinary people into hideous monsters," Sailor Venus added.

"So, it seems that you figured it all out!" a familiar woman's voice retorted. The Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts turned around and gasped when they saw Amethyst and Topaz standing in the doorway to the secret room.

"Too bad you're too late to stop us!" Topaz boasted with a sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah, right!" Kento scoffed as he reached for the glowing Celestial Stone of Earth. "All we gotta to do is crush these Celestial Stones of yours and..." Before Kento could grab the Celestial Stone of Earth, a strange force of energy struck him hard, knocking him against the wall.

"Kento!" Cye and Sailor Venus exclaimed simultaneously as Kento collapsed to the floor.

"Man, those things sure pack a punch!" Kento reluctantly admitted as Cye helped him back on his feet.

"Hate to say I told you so, but..." Topaz replied nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Your foolish attempts to stop our plans for Crystal Tokyo were all in vain. Unlike those before us, we will succeed in conquering the city of Crystal Tokyo," Amethyst admitted boastfully.

"But, for a little insurance, we might as well destroy the future queen and princess while we're at it," Topaz remarked sinisterly, his brown eyes focused on Sailor Moon and Rini in particular.

"You'll have to get through us first, Topaz!" Sailor Mars proclaimed.

"That will be our pleasure, Sailor brats!" Amethyst admitted darkly as she and Topaz walked further into the secret room towards the Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini.

As Ryo took a step back, his foot accidentally hit the stand that was holding the five Celestial Stones and the Jewel of Life, causing it to vibrate slightly.

"No! Stay away from that!" Amethyst demanded loudly with a slightly panicked look in her deep violet eyes.

"Why? What'll happen?" Ryo asked a bit suspiciously.

"That's none of your concern!" Topaz spat out defiantly.

"Oh, really? Then you won't mind if I do this?" Kento asked nonchalantly as he intentionally pushed the stand, causing it to teeter back and forth slightly.

"Knock it off, you impudent fool! You have no idea what you're doing!" Topaz shouted.

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing, Topaz! I'm stopping you and your sister from taking over the future!" Kento remarked.

"Go for it, Kento!" Sailor Venus encouraged Kento, much to the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors' surprise. Kento smirked slightly as he deliberately pushed the stand over, causing the five Celestial Stones and the Jewel of Life to spill out on the floor.

"NO!" Amethyst screamed loudly. Suddenly, the lights started to flicker and the entire room started to shake violently, causing everyone to fall to the floor.

"What just happened?" Rowen asked a bit hesitantly as he slowly stood up, along with Sailor Moon, Ryo, Sailor Mars, Sage, Sailor Jupiter, Cye, Sailor Mercury, Kento, and Sailor Venus.

"The entire ship is going into complete shutdown, and you can blame your fool-hearted friend for that!" Topaz muttered icily as he looked up at Kento.

"Hey! What do you mean?" Kento demanded loudly.

"The Jewel of Life is the only relic in existence that's capable of suppressing such uncontrollable power," Amethyst explained. "Not even anything from our time could contain such power."

"Tell us, how are you able to use the Jewel of Life?" Sage asked suspiciously. "It's a force for good, not evil."

"That's where you're wrong, Sage of Halo," Topaz interrupted. "The Jewel of Life can be a force for either good or evil. Now that the display has been disturbed, the power from the power of the Celestial Stones will be unleashed in an uncontrollable explosion, obliterating everything and everyone in this ship along with it!"

"Oh, no!" Sailor Moon gasped loudly, along with the other Sailor Scouts, the Ronin Warriors, and Rini.

"We gotta get out of here now!" Ryo shouted as he, Sage, Kento, Cye, Rowen, the five Sailor Scouts, and Rini ran past Amethyst and Topaz out of the secret room.

Once they disappeared out of sight, a small smirk played across Topaz's face as he picked up the Fire Stone in one hand and the Air Stone in the other. "Hurry, Amethyst! If we put everything back just as it was, we can prevent the ship from being destroyed and still accomplish our goal to take over Crystal Tokyo."

"That was very clever of you, Topaz," Amethyst admitted as she picked up the Earth Stone and Water Stone, while Topaz was putting the stand back up and placing the Fire Stone and Air Stone back where they were once resting.

"Those foolish do-gooders honestly believed that nothing could be done to prevent the power of the Celestial Stones from destroying the entire ship," Topaz remarked boastfully as Amethyst placed the Earth and Water Stones back where they belonged. He quickly scanned the room with his brown eyes and spotted the Spirit Stone resting against the wall near the secret door.

As Topaz picked up the Spirit Stone, Amethyst asked, "Topaz, do you have the Jewel of Life?"

"No, I don't, Amethyst. Why do you ask?" Topaz asked curiously as he put the Spirit Stone back on the stand.

"I can't find the Jewel," Amethyst revealed, catching Topaz by surprise.

"You can't find it? We have to find it, Amethyst! It's the only thing that'll prevent the Celestial Stones from demolishing the entire ship and us with it!" Topaz shouted with a hint of panic in his voice as he quickly got down on his hands and knees and joined Amethyst in the search for the red curved tear-shaped jewel.

"Any luck yet, Topaz?" Amethyst asked her brother.

"No, I don't see it at all," Topaz reported.

"The Jewel has to be in here. It couldn't have just walked off on its own," Amethyst muttered out loud.

"Maybe not, Amethyst, but someone could have walked out of here with it," Topaz revealed.

"You mean to tell me that one of those pesky heroes took the Jewel of Life with them?" Amethyst asked loudly out of shock.

"Well, it's not in here, and like you said, Amethyst, the Jewel of Life couldn't walk out of here on its own," Topaz pointed out.

"We must stop them before they leave the ship!" Amethyst shouted as she and Topaz quickly stood up and ran for the door. Before they could reach the opening, the door suddenly closed down right in front of their faces.

"What the...we're locked in!" Amethyst gasped loudly as Topaz tried ramming into the door with his shoulder. She looked back at the stand and gasped when she saw the five Celestial Stones glowing brightly, filling the room with an intense light.

"Topaz, something's happening with the Celestial Stones!" Amethyst shouted loudly with a hint of panic in her voice.

"Oh, no! Their power's becoming unleashed! It must have shorted out the ship's systems, which caused the door to close on us," Topaz realized. "I'm afraid that we're trapped in here, Amethyst."

"You mean there's no way out?" Amethyst exclaimed loudly out of shock. Topaz reluctantly shook his head no in response.

"I can't believe it's going to end like this," Amethyst muttered out loud as she slowly slumped down to the floor. She took out her locket and opened it, revealing the picture of her deceased older brothers and sister. "Diamond, Sapphire, Rubeus, Emerald...please forgive us. We failed you, but we'll soon be together again..." Amethyst trailed off as a tear ran down her face and landed on the picture inside of her locket...

"Come on! This way, hurry!" Ryo shouted as he led the Ronin Warriors, the Sailor Scouts, and Rini down the hall.

"How are we gonna get out of here, Ryo?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"If we can find that window we saw when we first got here, we can bust it open and escape through there," Ryo explained.

"Are you crazy, Ryo?" Sailor Mars asked suspiciously. "We'll get trapped in outer space with no way out!"

"Relax, Sailor Mars. The power of our armor will protect us, just like it did before when Sailor Moon and I traveled to outer space when we were searching for the Celestial Stone of Air," Rowen explained.

"Yeah, that's right!" Sailor Moon realized. Just then, the ship shook violently, causing everyone to fall to the floor once again.

"We better move it, guys!" Sage shouted as he, Ryo, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury, and Rini warily got back up. "That ship is a time bomb just waiting to explode!"

"Hold on a second. This area looks familiar," Rowen muttered thoughtfully. "If I'm right, then the window we're looking for should be down that way!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kento shouted as he turned into the corridor on the left that Rowen was pointing at. A few moments later, the Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini heard Kento announce, "Hey, guys, I found it!"

"You heard him, let's go," Ryo suggested as he, Sage, Cye, Rowen, the Sailor Scouts, and Rini headed down the corridor that Kento disappeared into.

"There it is!" Cye exclaimed as he pointed at the same window they saw when they first arrived on the ship.

"So, what now?" Sailor Venus asked curiously.

"It's easy, Sailor Venus. All I gotta do is bust this window open and..." Kento started to explain as he withdrew his naginata.

"Kento, stop!" Ryo shouted.

"What's wrong, Ryo? Don't you wanna get out of here?" Kento asked sarcastically.

"If you use your attack, you'll end up ripping this ship apart," Ryo explained.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kento reluctantly agreed as he holstered his weapon.

"It'd be best if Rowen does the honors," Sage suggested. "He can easily create a hole through the wall with his arrow's shock wave big enough for us to escape through without tearing apart the entire ship."

"Hang on tight, everyone!" Rowen cautioned his friends as he withdrew an arrow from his quiver, placed it in his bow, and aimed it directly at the window. "Armor of Strata! ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" The arrow soon changed into a jagged beam of yellow light as it struck the window, blasting a large jagged hole in the wall.

"AHH!" everyone screamed simultaneously as an incredible force from deep within the realms of outer space pulled at them from the newly created opening, like a powerful vacuum.

"Hold on!" Ryo shouted as he instinctively grabbed Sailor Mars by the arm, while Sage, Kento, and Cye quickly did the same with Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Mercury. Just then, the powerful force sucked the ten heroes and Rini out of the spaceship in a split second.

"I got you, Sailor Moon!" Rowen shouted as he quickly grabbed Sailor Moon's wrist.

"Hang on, Rini!" Sailor Moon shouted as she held on to Rini with her free hand. Using the will of their armors, the five Ronin Warriors quickly formed protective orbs of light around themselves and the five Sailor Scouts.

"We better get away from that ship, and quick!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. "You heard what Topaz said. That ship of theirs is a giant ticking time bomb that'll blow up any second now!"

"Come on!" Ryo announced as he used his will to move the red sphere holding him and Sailor Mars at a much faster speed, followed closely behind by Sage, Sailor Jupiter, Cye, Sailor Mercury, Kento, Sailor Venus, Rowen, Sailor Moon, and Rini.

Within moments, a monstrous sonic boom was heard by all. The Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini looked back and gasped loudly out of shock. The huge spaceship composed entirely of black crystals had exploded into a giant fireball, which was quickly extinguished due to the lack of oxygen in outer space.

"Whoa...that was intense," Kento exclaimed slowly.

"You got that right, Kento," Sailor Venus agreed.

"Is it possible that they could have somehow survived that?" Cye wondered out loud.

"I don't see how, Cye," Sailor Mercury murmured thoughtfully.

"We did it! The Dark Moon family has finally been defeated once and for all!" Sailor Moon openly admitted.

"Yay!" Rini cheered loudly.

"It's a shame that we lost the Jewel of Life in the process, though," Rowen muttered out loud. "It was a powerful tool that defeated the most evil demon this world has probably ever seen."

"You mean this?" Rini asked curiously as she took the Jewel of Life out of her pocket.

"The Jewel of Life! But, how did you get it, Rini?" Rowen asked curiously as he knelt down in front of Rini.

"I found it on the floor before we left," Rini explained. "I know it was really important to you guys, so I saved it for you." Rini handed over the Jewel of Life to Rowen.

"Thanks, Rini," Rowen admitted as he stood back up and gazed around at their surroundings. "It's fortunate that the ship exploded the way it did. If any large remains were left, they could have ended up crashing into the Earth like a meteor."

"Yeah, definitely," Sailor Moon agreed.

"Sailor Moon, I have to know: What did Topaz mean when he called you and Rini the future queen and princess?" Rowen inquired curiously.

"It's a really long and complicated story, Rowen. You sure you wanna hear it?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.

"Yes, please, Sailor Moon," Rowen requested.

"Let's see...where should I start?" Sailor Moon asked herself with a nervous laugh. She took in a deep breath before she started. "Well, first of all, Rini, like the Dark Moon people, is also from the thirtieth century."

"So, would that make Rini your future descendant?" Rowen asked curiously, catching both Rini and Sailor Moon by surprise. "I mean, you two do look similar to each other, so you must be distantly related, am I right?"

"Well, you're right about the being related part, Rowen," Rini confessed.

"The truth is...Rini...she's my daughter," Sailor Moon hesitantly admitted with a nervous laugh, catching Rowen off guard.

But...but how is that even possible? You had to be at least a thousand years old when you had Rini!" Rowen exclaimed.

"Well, from what I found out when my friends and I first traveled to the future with Rini to help save Crystal Tokyo, there's this ice age that happens, which puts everyone in a really deep sleep," Sailor Moon explained. "The ice age was ended in the thirtieth century by my Silver Imperium Crystal, and I end up becoming Neo-Queen Serenity of the planet Earth. Hard to believe, huh? Sometimes, I can't even believe it myself!"

"So, that's why Topaz called you the future queen," Rowen realized. "And since Rini's your future daughter, it would make her the princess. But, what about these Dark Moon people? Where did they come from?"

"I was getting to that. As Neo-Queen Serenity, I used the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to get rid of all negative feelings, which will bring peace and tranquility to Earth," Sailor Moon continued. "But, unfortunately, some people resisted the power of the Silver Crystal and they ended up retreating to a tenth planet in our solar system called Nemesis and calling themselves the Dark Moon Clan. Nothing was heard from the Dark Moon Clan until, one day, they attacked Crystal Tokyo out of the blue."

"It was really bad," Rini sadly admitted as she recalled that day when the Dark Moon first attacked Crystal Tokyo. "My dad got hurt pretty bad from the attack. He couldn't even move. And my mom...she was attacked when she left the palace to look for me. The Sailor Scouts of my time saved my mom by making a crystal shield around her, which put her in a deep sleep. They also used their powers to make a shield around the palace. I knew that the only thing that could save us all was the Silver Imperium Crystal, but it vanished. At the time, I had no idea that the Silver Crystal somehow got absorbed into my body. I thought the only way to get it was to go back in time and find Sailor Moon, so I used the Moon Crystal Key to do that."

"I don't understand, Rini. Why did you need to find Sailor Moon of the past?" Rowen asked curiously. "Then again, your mother was encased in crystal, and you were unaware that you were in possession of the Silver Imperium Crystal at the time."

"Well, my dad, he used to tell me stories about Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts as bedtime stories. I was never told that Sailor Moon was really my mom. I thought that she only existed in the past, so I went back in time to find her and get the Silver Crystal. When I met Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, I had no idea they would become my parents, and I almost broke them up forever," Rini reluctantly admitted.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't, Rini, otherwise you wouldn't even be here," Rowen pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," Rini replied. She looked up at Sailor Moon and asked, "You don't think that Amethyst and Topaz are still alive, do you, Sailor Moon?"

"I seriously doubt it, Rini. And even if they did, they'd have no way of returning to Crystal Tokyo with their ship destroyed," Sailor Moon openly confessed.

"I honestly don't see how anyone could have survived that explosion, so you don't have anything to worry about, Rini," Rowen added.

"I sure hope so, Rowen. Hopefully, that's the end of the Dark Moon people this time," Rini muttered out loud as the dark blue orb of light holding her, Sailor Moon, and Rowen floated towards Earth, along with the four other orbs of light carrying the remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts...

"Where could they be? What could possibly be taking so long?" Mia muttered worriedly as she stared out at the forest surrounding her home from the balcony of her computer room. Over a day has past since the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts had left to find Topaz and Amethyst, and Mia had not seen or heard from them since then. As the moon peeked out from behind the trees, Luna, Artemis, and White Blaze joined Mia on the balcony.

"Any sign of them yet, Mia?" Luna asked curiously.

"No, nothing yet, Luna," Mia reluctantly admitted as she stared up at the night sky, which was peppered with stars. "I just hope that everyone's all right, especially Rini. I still can't believe I allowed Topaz to take her."

"Don't blame yourself, Mia. There wasn't much you could do to stop Topaz from taking Rini away...nor us, for that matter," Artemis pointed out as Mia stared down at the floor with a guilt-ridden expression on her face.

"What are those strange lights?" Luna asked out loud.

"What lights, Luna?" Mia asked curiously as she immediately brought her head up.

"Those balls of light up in the sky," Luna replied as she pointed at the night sky with her paw. "They appear to be the same colors as the Celestial Stones. You don't suppose that the Ronin Warriors and the Sailor Scouts were too late to stop Amethyst and Topaz, do you?"

"I certainly hope not, Luna," Artemis muttered out loud.

"Maybe it's Ryo and the others!" Mia suggested.

"But, how is that possible?" Luna inquired curiously.

"The Ronin Warriors are able to project the energy of their armor outward, forming a shield of light around them that protects them. It was that same orb of light that kept Rowen safe while he was stranded in outer space," Mia revealed. "It has to be them, I'm sure of it!"

"Perhaps we should take a closer look at those colored lights, just to be sure," Luna suggested as she looked over at Mia's telescope, which was on the balcony.

"Good idea, Luna," Mia agreed as she approached the telescope, positioned it towards the sky, and peered through the eyepiece.

"What do you see, Mia?" Artemis asked curiously.

"It is them! And they have Rini with them!" Mia exclaimed happily as she looked up from the telescope.

"That's great!" Luna and Artemis exclaimed simultaneously.

"It looks like they're trying to land behind the house. Come on!" Mia shouted as she ran back inside the house, followed by Luna and Artemis.

The two cats sprinted down the stairs and towards the kitchen after Mia, who was just ahead of them. Once they reached the kitchen, Mia quickly opened the door leading into the back of the house and she and the two cats ran outside just as the balls of light appeared just above the treetops. As the orbs descended further down to the ground, Luna and Artemis saw that each orb held a Ronin Warrior and a Sailor Scout, with the dark blue orb also carrying the once missing pink-pigtailed girl and her Luna Ball.

"Guys, you're back!" Mia gasped as the five orbs touched down and eventually faded away.

"Rini, are you all right?" Artemis asked curiously.

"We were worried sick about you," Luna added.

"I'm fine now, Luna," Rini confessed as she knelt down and embraced the two cats.

"What about Amethyst and Topaz? What happened to them?" Mia asked curiously.

"Those two are history," Ryo announced.

"The Dark Moon family will no longer be a threat to the past, the present, or the future of our world ever again," Sailor Mercury added.

"Now we can go back home," Sailor Venus openly admitted.

"But, first, you should all rest. It's late and you've all been gone for a long time," Mia suggested.

"I definitely have no problem with that!" Sailor Moon admitted groggily as she suppressed a long yawn. The others chuckled softly as they all headed inside...

"Rowen, wake up!" Kento shouted as he shook Rowen's shoulder hard, who was still asleep in bed.

"Just give me five more minutes, Kento," Rowen murmured groggily as he turned onto his other side.

"That's what you said five minutes ago," Kento remarked dully. "Come on, Rowen! The girls are leaving in a few minutes! Don't you want to say goodbye to them?"

"All right, Kento. I'm coming," Rowen replied as he sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes for a few moments before he eventually stood up.

"Come on, hurry up, Rowen!" Kento shouted as he ran downstairs ahead of Rowen.

"Cool it, Kento! I'm coming!" Rowen shouted as he followed Kento through the kitchen and out the back door.

Once outside, Rowen saw that everyone else was waiting outside in the backyard, including the three other Ronin Warriors, the five Sailor Scouts, Mia, White Blaze, Luna, Artemis, and little Rini.

"About time, Rowen," Sage remarked as Kento and Rowen joined him, Ryo, and Cye.

"We were starting to think that Kento had to pry you out of bed with the Jaws of Life!"

"Got pretty close to actually using it!" Kento admitted jokingly.

"Okay, I think we all get the point here," Rowen pointed out dully, obviously not amused by Kento and Sage's ribbing.

"Well, girls...I guess this is goodbye," Mia reluctantly admitted.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Serena trailed off as she started to get all misty- eyed.

"We appreciate everything that you've done for us during our stay here, Mia," Amy openly confessed.

"I was more than happy to do it, Amy," Mia replied with a small smile.

"It was pretty cool meeting you guys," Lita admitted.

"Same here, Lita," Ryo agreed.

"You sure you have to leave now?" Sage asked curiously. "We were just getting to know you girls."

"Yeah, I know, Sage...but we've been gone for over a week now," Mina revealed. "Our parents must be really worried about us by now."

"They won't be that worried, Mina. When you return to your time, I'll make it so that only a day has gone by," Rini announced.

"That's good to hear, Rini. I'm sure my grandfather would be worried out of his mind if I was gone for an entire week," Rae confessed.

"So, is everyone ready to go now?" Rini asked the five Sailor Scouts, Luna, and Artemis. All seven of them shook their heads in agreement as Rini detached the Moon Crystal Key from the chain around her neck and held the key high up in the air.

"MOON CRYSTAL KEY! Open the Gate of Time and take us all back home!" Rini shouted.

To Ryo, Sage, Kento, Cye, Rowen, and Mia's surprise, a pair of large doors appeared in front of the Sailor Scouts and Rini, with the eight different phases of the moon engraved on the front.

"There it is!" Luna gasped softly.

"You guys might want to stay back," Lita cautioned the five boys and Mia.

"All right, Lita," Ryo replied as he Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Mia, and White Blaze all stepped back a little bit.

"Okay, here we go," Serena announced as the doors slowly swung open, revealing a brilliant white light inside. The six girls joined hands, with Luna and Artemis hanging onto Serena and Mina's shoulders, and slowly walked into the blinding white light. As soon as the girls were out of sight, the doors slowly closed behind them and eventually disappeared altogether.

"That was pretty cool, huh, guys?" Kento asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Cye agreed.

"Looks like the Sailor Scouts are now a thing of the past...I mean, the future," Sage replied.

"You think we'll ever see them again?" Ryo asked.

"I'm not sure, Ryo. Only time will tell," Rowen confessed...THE END...OR IS IT?


	10. Epilogue

WHEN HEROES COLLIDE

Epilogue

Meanwhile, in modern-day Tokyo, a pair of large doors engraved with the eight phases of the moon mysteriously appeared at the docks just outside of the city limits. The doors slowly opened on their own, revealing a seemingly endless glowing blue void. Within moments, six figures slowly reached the open doors, with two cats hanging onto the shoulders of two of the girls.

"Yay! We're finally home!" Serena cheered gleefully as she and her friends walked out of the doors and stepped onto the wooden docks.

"Feels good to be back in our own time," Lita admitted as she stretched out her arms.

"Since everything's back the way it should be, I'll be going now," Rini announced as she turned around and headed back to the Gates of Time, followed by her Luna Ball.

"Rini, wait!" Rae shouted. "Before you go, we need to know something about the Ronin Warriors."

"What is it, Rae?" Rini asked curiously as she turned around to face the Sailor Scouts.

"How exactly did saving the Ronin Warriors in the past affect our, and your, present time, Rini?" Amy asked.

"Well…the Ronin Warriors have many other challenges to face, besides beating Talpa, which they already did," Rini explained. "If they weren't around to face those other enemies, that would seriously affect both our times."

"But, why didn't Amethyst and Topaz go back further in time, like before the Ronin Warriors fought Talpa?" Mina asked curiously. "They would have been younger and probably less powerful."

"It was because they needed the Jewel of Life for the Celestial Stones, Mina," Rini replied. "The Ronin Warriors didn't get the Jewel until near the end of the war between Talpa and the Evil Dynasty. Before the battle with Talpa started, the Jewel of Life was hidden under Jewel Lake by the Ancient's clan over a thousand years ago. Only someone using the Ancient's staff could gain access to the underwater cave, where the Jewel was kept. Also, only someone with a pure heart could remove the Jewel of Life from the cave. Even if Amethyst and Topaz knew where the Jewel was hidden and found a way inside without using the Ancient's staff, they wouldn't be able to take it, because none of them had a pure heart. At least, that's what I was told."

"So that's why they didn't go further back in time," Amy muttered thoughtfully. "Amethyst and Topaz needed to go to a time where the Ronin Warriors already had possession of the Jewel of Life. Otherwise, their plan would have failed from the start."

"Well, I gotta go now. Goodbye," Rini announced as she once again headed for the Gates of Time.

"Goodbye, Rini! See ya in the future!" Serena shouted as she and the other girls waved goodbye to Rini as she walked into the blue void. Rini turned around and waved back to the five girls and two cats as the Gates of Time slowly closed behind her.

Lita glanced down at her watch for a moment and realized something. "You guys, Rini was right! This is the exact date and time that we left for Toyama!"

"So...what do we do now?" Serena asked curiously. "I told my mom I was sleeping over at Molly's tonight. Molly's not expecting me, and mom and dad are gonna wonder why I went back home when I was supposed to be going to Molly's."

"That's easy, Serena. Go back home, and if your parents ask, just tell them that you forgot something," Mina suggested. "And while you're there, call Molly and ask if you can spend the night. If she says no, then tell your parents there was a change in plans. That way, they'll never know."

"Yeah, good idea, Mina," Serena agreed.

"You know…I was wondering about the Ronin Warriors. Do you think they're still around? And do they remember us?" Lita asked curiously as she, Serena, Rae, Mina, Amy, Luna, and Artemis walked away from the docks.

"I'm sure they do, Lita," Amy replied.

"What do you think are the odds we'll see them here in Tokyo?" Rae asked curiously.

"I don't know, Rae. Pretty likely, I guess," Amy muttered thoughtfully. "Toyama's only about a hundred and fifty miles northwest of Tokyo. And the Ronin Warriors would be in their mid to late twenties now. But, chances are pretty slim that all five, if any, still live there today. Who knows? Perhaps our paths will cross again…one day."

As the five girls and the two guardian cats left the docks, they were unaware of five young men watching them from a distance.

"That must be them. They look just like the drawings I made of them ten years ago," one of the young men muttered out loud in his British accent, who had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and green eyes.

"Doesn't look like Rini's with them anymore. She must have returned to her time in Crystal Tokyo," another young man observed in his Australian accent, who had blue hair and blue eyes.

"Should we go talk to them?" a third man suggested, who had short charcoal gray hair and blue eyes.

"That's probably not the best idea," a fourth man stated, who had thick blonde hair and violet-gray eyes.

"And why not?" the man with the charcoal gray hair asked suspiciously.

"It might interfere with their destiny," the blonde man pointed out.

The young man with the charcoal gray hair looked towards the fifth man with his back towards them, who had long black hair and tiger blue eyes. "What do you think?"

The black-haired man turned around and replied, "I agree that we shouldn't approach them just yet. The Sailor Scouts came to us ten years ago, not just to stop Amethyst and Topaz, but also to save us. Don't forget: part of Amethyst and Topaz's plan was to destroy us. If the Sailor Scouts weren't there to help us, then we wouldn't had come up against that ancient sorcerer, Shikaisen, or that African man with the black Inferno armor, Mukala. If we weren't around to stop those two, who knows how the future would have turned out?"

"Especially if we didn't defeat Mukala. Those two Inferno armors fighting each other would have destroyed our world if we didn't put a stop to it," the blue-haired young man pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true," the man with the charcoal gray hair reluctantly agreed.

"For now, let's leave them. They only came into our lives because they were preventing something that wasn't supposed to happen to us. But, if they ever do need our help, we'll be there," the black-haired man announced. "We should get going now."

"Right," the blonde man agreed as the five young men turned around and left…THE END


End file.
